Speechless
by AkatsukiStalkers-RebelQueens
Summary: never to speak, never to look into someone's eyes, and never to smile. all she wanted was to move through life, unnoticed. but, that blonde just had to sit with her on the bus. from there, her existence was a roller coaster- ups and downs, sad and happy, loops and drops and excitement. DeiSaku Author: Neko. M for reasons.
1. Silence Is Scary

**Speechless**

me: hi! this is a story i imagined mainly in a dream, an i thought i could work with it.

Sakura: uh... hooray?

me: i bet you excited to be with Dei-Dei again!

Sakura: *blushes*

Deidara: *blushes* uh... so... lets h-hurry up KP...

me: ok, fine. someone is in a hurry! hehehe

Deidara: *blush deepens*

Kisame: *falls over laughing*

Sakura was only 5 years old when it happened. the event that would change her life into a living hell. but it would also bring her great happiness. a wise man once said 'all people must go through hard times'. and soon, it would be Sakura's time.

"hey Ino! through me the ball!" Sakura called. they were outside in her yard, playing kick ball with Sakura's favorite pink ball.

Ino sent the ball flying to her with one swift kick, but Sakura didn't catch it and it hit Hinata so hard she fell. she quickly began to cry.

her older cousin Neji dashed swiftly on the porch, and scooped up the small girl. Ino and Sakura came over as Neji sat in the shade, cradling Hinata.

Sakura's father was cutting dead limbs from the big oak tree above them. after about 5 minutes, a smaller branch loosened a tumble of leaves that pooled around them.

Sakura decided to turn that into a game, and she let out a shrill shriek. but before she could call out 'the sky is falling', like in her game, her father up in the tree panicked.

"what? whats going on-" he was cut off as he tumbled off the ladder, chainsaw tumbling after.

she could remember the sickening '_plop_', followed by the sickening sound of a chainsaw falling the _saw_ part first into her fathers gut.

all three girls screamed and cried, and Neji move Hinata off his lap to scoop them all up at once to carry them all inside, away from the gruesome image of her father.

Sakura could remember going into the house, Neji panicking as he shoved us into her bedroom, then the scream of sadness from her mother as Neji rushed her to call 911.

but worst of all, Sakura remember the cause of that horrid event. it was her voice. her sound. that day, she went mute. she never spoke again, and now no one, not even her or her mother, could remember what her voice even sounded like. she never bade more then small gasps.

a few months later, Sakura moved from her home, to a far away city known as konaha.

but before they moved Ino had frowned hard at her, not in a good way for Sakura. "if that's how you want to be on your last month, then im making you a dare. every time you smile, look at someone in the eyes, or speak to anyone you have to..."

you will find out the individual dares another time.

she lived alone with her mother, who never did find a new husband. in fact, now her mother avoided as much male contact as possible.

Sakura was now 16. she was the mute freak at her school, Konaha High. Sakura NEVER looked at anyone's eyes, NEVER spoke and rarely wrote (unless it was for school work, for writing only), and NEVER smiled.

Sakura slipped on her school uniform, a pink-and-black plaid skirt, white blouse, pink neck tie, and a pink head band, and her black dress shoes. she brushed her long, pink hair out strait, and hung her head low so it covered her face. she slung on her backpack and went downstairs.

her mom had set out a plate of eggs and bacon, which Sakura quickly gulped down. she looked at her watch: 8:03am. her bus arrived at 8:30.

Sakura pulled out her extra credit sheet for math, and began to work out the math equations. after about 20 minutes, she finished her sheet and checked her watch to see 7 minutes left. she put it away, and stood silently to walk out the door and down the street to the bus stop.

once there, she stood at the back of the group of kids, head down and face covered.

"oh look! its no-voice!"

"god, your such a sadistic bitch!"

"whats the matter? sad? get a life, whore!"

these were the thing they would tell her every morning, and they got angrier and angrier, making bets to who could get her to reply. eventually, the stooped to punching or kicking her.

but no today. there was some gossip moving that took away some of the attention, and Sakura straind her ears to listen, and only caught scraps: new, today, 4, transferred, boys, hot, bad-boys, and gang.

Sakura caught these and fished them together: new kids (4 boys) had been transferred to the school, and people said they were hot bad-buys and had their own gang.

_that's great for them._ Sakura thought. she never really took interest in other peoples affairs, why start now?

that's when the bus pulled up, and the students (9, including Sakura) hauled themselves up the stairs.

Sakura went to seat 4, to the left side. this is weer she always sat, and none ever sat in the 5 seats around her. she sat alone as always, and loked out the window with the chill of frost blanketing the glass.

when they stopped again after the last stop, Sakura was slightly confused. this wasn't a normal stop. _da, this is the new kid's stop._ she thought to herself.

Sakura looked through her hair to the stairs and door, to see a tall man with black hair and onyx eyes enter first. he walked slowly, and looked at all the empty seats. finally he sat down behind Sakura, and there were loud gasps. the teen looked around, curious without showing it, to were the gasps came from.

he had been followed shortly after by a strange looking... blue... teen, with a toothy grin. he sat next to the black hair teen, and there was even more gasps.

next to step up was a red-headed boy, with a bored look. he looked around, and chose the seat across from Sakura. the gasps grew louder this time.

finally the last of the four stepped on. he had long, blonde hair in a half pony tail and he came on the bus with his blue eye (only one was visibal, the other drapped with hair) sparkling. he sat next to the redhead with a long smirk.

Sakura returned her hair-covered gaze to out the window, despite the crazy whispers that filled the bus.

then there was an extremely large gasp, but Sakura didn't look over. "hey, un. how's it going?" came a near by voice. it was so close, Sakura nearly jumped out of her own skin. she turned her hair covered eyes back, head tilted forward so she looked no higher than his chest. she knew it was the blond, his bangs were just visible.

they sat in silence, and when he seemed to understand she wasn't going to reply, he fumed. "what the heck? talk, Bitch!" at his last word, Sakura turned away. she didn't need to associate if he was no different from her other tormentors.

but he grumbled, and just moved back to his seat next to the red-head.

once the bus pulled into the school, everyone stood, exiting at their turn. except Sakura. she remained sitting, and waited until everyone else was off the bus. then she stepped off as well.

in her class, math with Kurenai, Sakura sat in the farthest corner, close to the window. once again, the 4 seats closest to her were empty: the one in front of her, diagnal of her, and the two to her right.

teachers had learned quickly she would never talk, and they never called on her for answers. all she had to do was pay attention, do school and classwork, and behave properly- all of which she would have done anyway, she may be mute but she planned for college.

"ok class. today we will continue with section 4, but first we have some new students. please come in now." and at Kurenai's call, for boys made there way into the room.

"ok, please tell us you name, fave color, and... you best hobby." she said with a smile. the first in the row on Sakura's left spoke, then the rest:

"i am Itachi Uchiha. my favorite color is dark red, and my hobby... i don't think you need to know."

"i am Kisame, Kisame Hoshigaki. my fave color is blue, and my hobby is swimming."

"i am Sasori Tashigon. my favorite color is bright red, and my hobbies all include puppets"

"I'm Deidara Suna. my fave color is yellow, and my hobbies are all art related."

the first and third guys Itachi and Sasori wore emotionless bored face, Kisame had that same toothy grin and Deidara was smiling confidently.

"ok! i need someone to show them the campus... lets see, Sakura is the only one with the grades to be allowed. Sakura, please come to the front of the classroom and meet the boys." Sakura visibly shrunk into her desk. when she didn't get up for a minute, Kurenai snapped at her. "get up Sakura. i didn't ask you, i told you. stand up and come to the front of class. now." Sakura stood reluctantly, and moved at the edge of the class, as far from them as possible.

but Kurenai glared at her, and she had to step in front of them. "this is Sakura Haruno. she wont say much, she's shy. she will show you around school." Kurenai said it sweetly, but the last sentence had a hint of an order directed at Sakura. Sakura bowed, a sign of greeting.

"uh..." Deidara muttered, then seemed to glower angrily. "jerk." he hissed, most likely remembering how she hadn't spoken to him. she hung her head lower, trying to avoid his angry eyes from peering into her hair at her eyes. _NO eye contact_. she told herself.

she turned away from him for the second time today, and walked to the door. the others followed shortly after, quite reluctantly.

as they roamed the school, Sakura only pointed at things and their signs, keeping her head bowed. Deidara and Kisame walked at her sides, the other two just behind.

it wasn't long before Deidara broke the silence. "so you literally wont talk, un? that's pretty stupid!" Sakura sped up, until she was a few feet ahead. "what's your problem, Bitch!" he hissed catching up, and he pointed at her angrily. "stop trying to act all cool! it's not like someone will die if you make a sound, un!"

that did it. she fell to her knees, staring at the floor. that was a lie, it was all her fault- her voice's fault that she now had no father.

"oh no! she must be sad, un." he spewed seething. "stop pretend-" he stopped as tears splashed on the tile.

_is she really crying? why, what did i say, un?_ he thought. in his shock, he didn't say anything as she stood once more, not making a sound, and continued the tour as if nothing had happened.

the other boys stared at the silent girl, then let it drop. but not Deidara.

it made him mad that she still didn't make a sound he ran up to her, and tried to look under her hair for her eyes. she flew back, into some lockers as he had almost reached her eyes. she clenched them tight, and shook her head 'no' wildly.

Deidara stood there, standing in shock at her reaction. so had the other boys, once they heard the force of which she had slammed herself away from him. he only got mad again once his shock faded.

"oh, what now, un! are you to good for eye contact?" he screamed at her. she slid to her knees, and starred at the floor in front of her. _i just dont want to do Ino's dare..._she thought. she said nothing as he went on yelling, which seemed to infuriate him more.

"you must be a shame to your parents, un!" at that comment she snapped. she stood up, directly in front of him. he looked at her shocked, then he gave a scream of pain as Sakura's fist collided with his gut so hard he was slammed into the wall on the opposite side of the hall. the other boys were starring at her wide eyed.

Sakura stomped up to Deidara, glaring at him from were she stood. it took her a minute to realize... _she was making eye contact!_ she growled inwardly, and raised Deidara up by his shirt collar.

the image of Ino that day swept up her mind: _and if you ever look someone in the eyes... you have to kiss them for 3 seconds!_she had told her.

Sakura did just that. she pressed her lips to his. _1... 2... 3!_ she dropped him back to the floor. she shivered, then walked over to the near by lockers, with stares of shock and confusion trained on her, and slammed her head on the lockers. then again, and again, and again for 3 more times. she shrank down to her knees, her hair still covering her eyes.

she just barely saw the boys who were standing in the center of the hall and starring at her. _i cant blame them. some random, silent girl just punched then kissed there friend._ she thought with a mental sigh.

"what the hell, un!" Deidara yelled, he was seething over with rage now, and he stood over her. Sakura curled into a very small tight ball. suddenly, there was a huge fit of barely suppressed laughter.

Sakura glanced over without moving, and saw it was the blue guy Kisame. both of the other two were slightly snickering, and Sakura suppressed the blush that wanted to spread over her face.

"i like her!" Kisame said out loud. "never before has a girl done that to you Dei. lets let her join the group!" he only chuckled when Deidara burned him with a glare.

"i second that plan." came Sasori's voice, seeming bored if you missed the slight hint of amusement. "hn." came Itachi's blank agreement.

Sakura dropped er knees and shook her head vigorously. but no one was paying her any attention, they were busy talking among themselves.

after a few minutes, they turned to her. "well, cutey! your a member of Akatsuki now!" Kisame called. that toothy grin of his disappeared as he saw her bolt. _no no no no no no NO!_she screamed in her head.

this was the last thing she wanted, to be in a gang. she ran down the hall, to hear 2 sets of footsteps following her. she kept running, not turning back, to almost slam into Itachi and Kisame as they poped out to stop her. as she dodged their hands, she ran in the nearest door. it was the stair case, and she moved as quick as she could up them and into the 3rd story hall way. she ran faster as she heard the echo of footsteps coming from the staircse, and she ducked into the nearest door.

she closed it slowly, so it made no sound. then she looked around, to see she was in an empty science lab. she moved silently to the empty cabinet. being small, she curled up in the lowest shelf, and pushed all the way back after closing the doors quietly.

she waited, and soon she heard the class door open. "damn, were did she go, un?" she heard Deidara hiss loudly. she heard all his footsteps, and then she stiffened as they approached her cabinet. then they stopped abruptly at the two doors, and then they were swung open. she saw his black-and-white sneakers, and froze. she held her breath as he closed them again, muttering curses. soon, he left the room.

she waited 10 minutes, then scrambled out of her hiding place. she tip-toed her way to the door, and opened it to sneak out. as she closed it silently, she turned to head for the stairs.

"were the hell do you think your going, un?" came the angry voice behind her. she froze and whipped around to the blonde. she backed up slowly, moving her way carefully to the stairs. but instead she hit something. she saw the hands quickly rap around her, this time she swooped downward. once past the grasp, she pushed between the legs and stood up quickly and darted. this time, she ran asfast and far as possible, not stopping of turning. she found some more stairs, and took them down.

she was now at ground level, and she made a mad dash to the library. when she got there, she saw it was closed for the day. _perfect._ she opened the doors and ran to the very back. she stood there panting, but then almost shirked at the near by voice.

"you cant get away from us that easily" she spun around, to see the Uchiha.


	2. Mocking My Mother

**Speechless**

_she was now at ground level, and she made a mad dash to the library. when she got there, she saw it was closed for the day. perfect. she opened the doors and ran to the very back. she stood there panting, but then almost shirked at the near by voice._

_"you cant get away from us that easily" she spun around, to see the Uchiha._

Sakura moved away backward, scared out of her mind. her limbs were screaming at her to stop, but she couldn't. when she finally hit the bookshelf behind her, she used it like a ladder. now she had the advantage of height, and she dashed from row to row, trying her best to get away from the Uchiha.

but, as she made the mad final leap to the floor, he caught her in mid air.

she struggled from his grip, moving downward again, then snapping to the side to move out of his arms. but it was too late. she was now surrounded by the Akatsuki four. Tears had begun to trickle down her face, but the shadows of her hair and the light-less library hid them. _i don't want to be in a gang!_ she cried out in her mind. suddenly Kisame lunged down to grab her.

she was smaller than him by a lot, so he had to bend down. Sakura leaped with perfect timing, and used his bent back to fling herself out of the circle. she landed on top of the checkout counter, and she stood there only a moment before dashing into the back room. she heard them hiss in annoyance, and darted after her again.

Sakura was crying wildly, but she was still silent. suddenly, someone rammed into her back, tying his arms around her.

she wriggled frantically, but to her dismay she was to tired. she finally went completely limp, and she allowed who ever it was that had caught her to lead her back to the main library. "it's about time you gave up, un!" the guy holding her arm hissed, and she realized it was Deidara on account of his accent. "Kisame, go turn on some lights, un!" he called, seating her in a chair.

when the lights flipped on, His angry glare was visible. "so! you think your to good for us, un? snooty little-" he finally noticed something. _she's crying._ he stared at her bewildered. tears were pouring down her hair-hidden face, staining her skirt.

she could feel all the bewildered eyes on her, and she raised her hand to wipe away her tears. _mommy... i need you mommy..._ she cried out to the only person who had never been evilly mean to her, but she knew that it wouldn't help. but that didn't stop her from calling in her mind. _mommy... please..._ she thought despairingly.

she wanted with all her heart to run away again, to be at home, or anywhere but here.

"Sakura. why did you run?" she heard a voice from behind her, knowing it was Sasori by the bored tone. she remained silent, not uttering a word. "oh, come on! just speak!" Kisame growled. Sakura shrank visibly, and shook her head as a reply.

then the intercom burst out. **"Sakura Haruno. Please come to the main office to be signed out."** Sakura felt a wave of relief as she stood up. she looked back at the boys she left behind. they watched her with disappointment. Sakura let out one of her rare sighs, and grabbed Deidara's sleeve. he looked at her confused at first, but as she tugged it, he understood it meant to follow her. she waved to the others, and as she walked, they followed in confusion and curiosity.

once at the office, she walked to the front were sign-outs were done. her mom rushed forward, and Sakura encased her with a hug. "oh, Sakura baby! you know i love you right? im sorry, but i needed you... today is the anniversary..." her mother began to cry as she trailed off.

Today is the day of the accident 11 years ago. Sakura squeezed her mother tighter, trying to wordlessly comfort her. Sakura turned to the boys who had followed her. they all looked awkward, and even Itachi had a small blush. she grabbed Deidara's sleeve, and tugged it. he walked over with her, back ot her mom with the others following.

she pulled him up to her, then pointed at her mom. he looked utterly confused. she sighed inwardly, and turned to her mother. Sakura could feel all the stares on her of the other students in the office and felt awkward. she grabbed Deidara and her mother's sleeve again, and tugged them to follow. they did, and so did the other 3 boys. Sakura lead them to an empty conference room, and waved at them to sit.

she turned to Deidara. she pointed to her lips, and made motions without sounds, then pointed to her mother again. this time, he got the picture.

he turned awkwardly to her mother, and asked "uh... why doesn't she talk, un? or look people in the eyes?" her mother stiffened, and looked at Sakura abruptly.

"d-do you want me to...?" Sakura's mom asked shocked. Sakura shook her head silently, and she sat down next to Deidara.

**"11 years ago... when Sakura was only 5, she was playing with her old friends Hinata, Ino, and Neji. her... f-f-father... was up in the tree, cutting tree limbs.**

**a whole set of leaves fell, and Sakura let out a squeal. she was going to play her favorite game 'the sky is falling'. but her scream... it startled her father who was in the tree."**

Sakura visibly shrunk and cringed. Deidara looked at her, confused.

**"he fell off the ladder, and landed in front of Sakura. and soon after... so did the chainsaw... "**

Deidara saw the tears that poured down the sides of her face. it appeared that the others did too, and they were looking at her sympathetically. Deidara was stunned, the thought of how something so horrible could happen from a single sound.

**"Neji, who was 16 at the time, managed to rush all the girls into the house.****but the damage had already been done to Sakura. that day, she went mute. she hasn't spoken sense."**

_it was all my fault..._ Sakura inwardly whimpered. she fidgeted in her seat as the tears continued to roll on. Sakura began to anticipate the mocking comments like she got from others who learned the story.

"Sakura-chan, lets go home." her mother said, uneasy around all the men. she pushed her way out the door, leaving Sakura who began to slowly rise from her chair.

"uh... Sakura...un. i-im sorry..." Deidara stammered. He could feel his face reddening, as he looked to his feet. Sakura whipped her head around, and her gaze locked with his once more. instantly she cringed. despite the shock of his words, she mentally groaned. she thrust her head forward, and locked her lips to his.

Sakura could feel the heat of his blush, and she was just the same as she reached the end of the 3 second kiss Ino had set on her for meeting someone's eyes.

once she had pulled away, she turned her hair-covered gaze to the the door. but instead of opening it, she slammed her head on it, mentally cursing. _god, why cant he stop making me do that?_

Deidara, who was still shocked and red faced, was very confused. "Wha? that's the second time, un!" his temper quickly began to rise. "i get that you don't want to talk, or what ever, but what the hell!" he shouted, not noticing that Sakura was also boiling over. but, it seemed that the others in the room had sunk too far into shock to stop the raging blonde.

"Why cant you just stop doing that, un? let me guess, trying to be an attention grabber? _'oh look at me! im so quiet! maybe i can get all your attention if i act mysterious!'._that does nothing but make you look like a bitch, un! so go runing back to that whore of a mother of yours and-" he was stopped short by a fist connecting with his cheek at a lightning speed.

But, despite that he was on he floor, he just smirked. "Oh no! i think i made her mad, un! well guess what!" he hissed with a bitter tone as he stood back on his feet. "there is no way in hell that you -a pathetic, silent, pink haired bitch, can do shit to me, un. so stop acting-" he was stopped once more as shock began to peek at him, as the seething, hair covered face flew in a downward direction, and his feet were swept out from under him.

he landed on his hands, and pushed himself with a jolt back to his feet. but, as he moved up with the fast pace, a long leg came crashing on his chest and sent him back to the floor in a heap. before he could move again, she had grabbed him by his blonde hair and threw him into the wall. the pain shocked him so he couldn't move, so he sunk to the floor.

_wha? were did this come from?_ "oh, it looks like you can do more than run, un! but, if you can remember, i still caught your sad little ass!" he chuckled, pushing his shock to the back of his mind, and standing as an angry smirk took over his face.

Sakura advanced on him, her anger reaching stage two. she threw an extremely strong punch at his head, that he had just barely been able to dodge. but to his shock and bewilderment, the punch LITERALY put a whole in the wall, just big enough to cover his face. Sakura wretched her hand out of the whole, making it larger with the jerking motion, and turned her hair covered face back to him, the skin that was just barely visible bright red.

_where is that immense strength coming from? this girl is insane!_ he shriked in his head, while outwardly he was backing clumsily away from the flaming girl.

suddenly, there were 4 bodies with their arms wrapped tightly around Sakura. she shook them off violently, literally sending them flying onto the floor. Deidara stared at the boys on the floor, especially Kisame, who had been sent into a wall and was muttering VERY colorful language.

then once more, all of the other Akatsuki were around her again. this time, they kept away by arms length, but stared with menacing gazes. "Sakura. this is something you DON'T want to get into." Sasori hissed. her steaming, hair draped face turned on him, her flaring eyes on his chest. the hard look Sakura gave him had enough firosity to make Sasori, the calm and cool kid he was, stumble back a few steps with shock.

Sakura stared at him a minute, before looking back to Deidara. he stared back at her, then she actually made a growl sound!_she must be PISSED if she actually made a sound!_ she marched with heavy feet to a white board, and rasped a black expo marker over the board.

in neat cursive hand wrighting, she quickly spelled out 4 words: _NEVER MOCK MY MOTHER._ Deidara just stared at them in shock. "That whole hell of anger was for your damn bitch of a mother?" Hidan cursed with a smirk, that was instantly replaced with a fist to his face. then she turned a menacing glare to Deidara. he gulped, as her eyes still didn't meet his, but instead remained low to his chest.

Sakura simply made a deep frown, and opened the door to the room, leaving behind the shocked masicure of the Akatsuki.

**with Akatsuki**

everyone just stood still, staring in amazement to were Sakura he left through the door. Deidara glanced at the hole in the wall, that had obviously been aimed at his face. then he looked at Hidan, who was unconscious on the floor, blood running from his mouth.

but, even with all of this to crowd his mind, two questions were at the top of his mind:

why had she KISSED HIM?

why had she run away with such horror as joining the Akatsuki?

me:you will have to wait to find out, Dei-kun!

Deidara: *growl*

Sakura: wait, why was i so terified of joining Akatsuki?

me: he he, you will see.


	3. To Base: By Air Duct

**Speechless**

me: omg! oh my glob! i accidently said hidan in the last chap, please replace that in you mind with Kisame! he he, oops.

_two questions were at the top of his mind:_

_why had she KISSED HIM?_

_why had she run away with such horror as joining the Akatsuki?_

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

Sakura had gone home with her mother, and they comforted each other frequintly through that dreaded day.

now it was early morning, and Sakura was eating a bowl of frosted mini-wheats. _tuesday._ she thought, going over all her homework she had done last night. she stole a glance at the purple watch on her hand, finding that it read it was 8:28.

gulping down the last of the milk from her bowl, she slipped it into the sink and darted out the door for the bus stop. reaching it, she stode at the back of the line once more, as she had done everyday this school year.

the bus soon came, very punctual as usual. Sakura slipped on, sitting once more in here seat, surrounded by empty seats.

only when they hit the newly added stop did she even think of the four bopys who had tried to get her in their gang. _that will NEVER happen._ she thought to herself. the four boys sat once more in the same seats, Kisame and Itachi behind her, Sasori and Deidara across from her.

it was only a moment before the intrusive blonde moved onto her seat. Sakura moved closer to the window, not turning her hair-draped face to him, hoping he would leave her alone. there were lots of insanely loud whispers buzzing through the air once more, and she picked up the comments with out really trying:

"hey! is he siting with no-voice?"

"look at her, thinking she can cuddle up with MY Dei-kun!"

"i'd love to punch her in that smug little face right now, she thinks she can have the new boys!"

Sakura mentally whimpered t how angry they all were.

"hey, un. you know you still are going to join Akatsuki." Deidara whispered to her. Sakura immediately stoode up, she moved away from Deidara, and sat in the seat in front of where her normal seat was. but, to her dismay, Sasori followed her. he sat further from her then Deidara did, but she still pressed aginst the window as if she could melt through it and make a run for it.

"you have to join." he whispered. Sakura pressed harder into the wall, and vigerously shook her head no. Sasori sighed, and the bus turned into the school's bus ramp. Sasori grabbed her rist, and pulled her off the bus with him as it was their turn to get off.

but as they aproached the stairs, bus driver Minato grabbed Sasori's hand. "hey, let the lady go, Sasori." the blonde man's blue eyes blazed like a cold fire.

Minato had been her bus driver for 3 years, and every time she got on the bus she sm,iled warmly to him, and waved as he drove away. Minto had always been worried for the pinkette, sadness over taking his eyes when he saw her being picked on, and always doing what he can to help her.

Minato also had a son Naruto, she knew him, but he was on Sasuke's side, acting as the school's pimp kings. to her, Minato and Naruto looked very simlar but completely oposite in behavior.

and once again, Minato was here to help her. Sasori stared at the driver, momentarily shocked, but then dropped Sakura's rist. "good. now, you and the blonde can stop harassing her. good-bye Sakura-chan" he finished with a warm smile, which she gladly returned with also a small thank-you bow.

she saw as she turned that Minato glared warningly at Sasori and Deidara, and the two boys seemed quite shocked the the bus driver was so pretective over the pink haired girl.

Sakura hurried past Sasori, down the bus stairs in her pink uniform. she scurried away only to be triped as she left the bus. she saw the foot retreat, and heard the evil Karin's voice. "oops. did you trip over your ego? dont you ever go near the new Akatsuki boys again!" a footwas thrown down on her back, knocking the air out of her.

"Sakura-chan!" Minato screeched, literaly runing down the stairs. "Karin! go to the office, now!" the red headed girl steemed as she marched away, and Minato bent over the pained girl. "oh my god! Sakura, are you ok?"

Sakura scrambled over onto her hands and knees, and began coghing up blood onto the cement path way. "uh, Itachi, please get the first aid kit from the bus. Kisame, go get the nurse." only then did Sakura notice the black, red, yellow, and blue figures of Akatsuki members that gazed at her with shock and worried expresions. the black and blue figures moved away fast, telling her that the two had listened.

"Hey, un? is she ok?" Deidara asked in a worried tone. Minato looked down, eyes struck with fear. suddenly, the fear began to ebb. "yea, i think she will pull through. this isnt the worst that they have done to her when i was around."

"what? this has happened before? and worse than this?" Sasori's usually bored or calm voice was stricken with surprise.

Minato looked sadly at the two boys. "almost every day, the poor girl is picked on. havent you noticed the whispers of hate when ever she is anywere near you? or how she purposely avoids most people?" the two looked guiltily at the beaten girl before them.

"its ok, we can take her to the nurse, sir." Sasori said, his calm returning. Sakura knew that was a bad idea for two reasons. _first of all, being near you guys has only gotten me into pain. second, your probably gunna pull that 'you will join our gang' thing on me!_ she thought.

Sakura stood up, though slightly shaky. she shook her head no, then grabbed her bag that had bitten the dust when she fell, and staggered to the door. "wha- hey Sakura! wait!" Sakura didnt stop at Minato's voice, but turned her head, and smiled at him. then she took off with a fresh bout of energy into a quick run. She heard Minato laugh and tell the three boys -Itachi had come back- "thats Saku for you! the free spirit!"

Sakura made her way to a girls bathroom, were she washed the blood from her face. with some bandages, she patched up her knees from the fall. she pushed her hair to hang in front of her face, then opened the door to leave. to her dismay, all four of the Akatsuki were leaning on the wall across from the door.

"Sakura. we need to talk." was Sasori's command. Sakura shook her head no, but as she turned to leave, Kisame poped into her way. Sakura frowned, and sighed inwardly. she turned back to the two boys, Sasori had moved to block the other way. Itachi and Deidara had weary eyes trained on her.

"you _will_ be joining Akatsuki. it is not a question." Sakura shook her head no rapidly, her gaze locked on a piece of floor tile, determind not to let a single tear escape despite the water wall that aproached.

"well why not?" came Kisame's confused question. Sakura bit her lip, unable to tell, even if she wanted to- she didnt. "she's not going to tell you, shark brain." Sasori said boredly. "so all we know is that she _will_."

Sakura inwardly whimpered. _they already know my story, they know im tormented every day, why cant they just leave me alone?_ Sakura rushed back into the girls bathroom, the only place she could think of were she could actualy mage to reach were they couldnt follow.

_ugh! wait, they wont care! they'll just come in anyway!_ Sakura looked around franticly after locking the door. her eyes caght on an air vent. she suddenly heard sounds of tinkering from the door. _ah! their picking the lock!_

with no more time to think, she slid of the lid, squeezed in, and pulled it back over into place. Sakura scuttled back so she would be completely hidden by darkness incase they peered inside. suddenly, the door in the room she could no longer see was pushed open loudly. "Done" came the bored voice of Sasori.

"come out, come out, Pinky!" Kisame boomed. Sakura was scared stiff as she heard stalls being thrown open, and the sink cabinets creeking open and closed. "what the hell, un? were did she go?" Deidara fumed. "hnn..." Itachi commented in confusion. Sakura heard the foot steps leaving, waited 5 minutes, then shuffled backward, away form her original vent.

Truth be told, Sakura came in the vents all the time. she was small enogh to creep through the school's smallest vents, and she could travle the whole school without being noticed, even from floor to floor. _thanks to Akatsuki, i think i will only travle this way from now on._ she decided. Sakura glanced at her watch, and to her dismay 1st period had begun 10 minutes ago. _i guess ill just head to my base..._

Sakura moved into a down ramp, took some twisting turns, and found herself in her special place.

her base is in the air ducts, and when the builders were making them they had made a huge error, and had to shift the vents and move this strange thing. it was like a big metal box, about the size of a medium to large bedroom. on a map, this 'room' is located at basement level, under ground, and juts out the side of the school's east wall. it amazed Sakura how something so big could actualy be an accident, and she made it her place to run -or crawl actually- when she was at school and need to be alone. every day for two years, Sakura had snuck peices of furniture, reassembled them, and kept them here.

there was a mini fridge, stocked well with sodas and snacks, and microwave,

a rug that fit perfectly onto the entire floor,

a small leather couch,

a very small tv she didnt use offten exept to find out weather,

a laptop with a printer scanner and copyer,

a shredder,

a set of knives, guns, things like that (not that she used them, they are there just incase she needs to hide from someone who's trying to kill her or something), well hiden in a cool panel she found in the wall,

a travle matress with pillow and blanket,

a few lamps to keep out darkness,

a desk were she kept supplies,

a few chairs,

a bookshelf, stacked with many studying books along with diffrent pleasure reading materials,

and a small dresser that contained diffrent kinds of bck up clothes, and even a feww boys clothes- just in case.

and even with all this, the room was still rather spacious, almost empty in the far corner. Sakura ran anextension coured through the vents, to keep the power going here. laying in the middle of the room was a not-yet-assembled painting easel. Sakura finished the final two steps that were not complete, then set it up in the corner with a canvas, paints, brushes, and a paint plate.

Sakura moved over to a small fish tank on her desk. inside it, were two Bala Sharks (thats a type of fish, look it up on google!) swimming in a reef style tank. Sakura re-filled the otomatic fish feeder, that would feed them every day twice, and needed refiling atleast once every three months, so she didnt need to move them on summer breaks. she always kept it full just incase.

Sakura moved over to her desk, and contiued another of her puppet carvings. now that she thought of it, that guy Sasori also said his hobbies include puppets. _well, thats ONE thing we have in common. and me and Deidara-san both like art. hmm... i wonder if Kisame-san likes fish, like i do? i have know idea what Itachi-san would be interested in..._Sakura shrugged it off, and set down her now finished puppet, strings and all attached.

Sakura looked at it, it was a puppet of her mother. she looked at the other puppets haging on the metal wal above her desk on nails she had pulled out from it slightly. one was of her, one more of her dad. next to them, her old friends Ino and Hinata. four un detailed puppet bodys she had made, but not had an idea for how they would look, hung next to those.

Re-hanging her now complete mom, she pulled the other four blank ones down, and smiled. she began carving, hot gluing, and painting. very soon, she had a complete set of Akatsuki members.

all of Sakura's puppets consited of a black robe with red clouds made of cloth. she decided on this because the red clouds symbolize 'the red sky' she always seemed to be in. she killed her father, made everyone hate her, bloodyed the floor constantly. 'a red dawn' on all people was what she was.

Sakura looked at the Akatsuki puppets she had once more hung, now complete with their own strings. she sighed inwardly, and stood from her desk, checking her watch. _wow... its only been 25 minutes..._ first period was unusually long this year, lasting 1 hr and 55 min.

she decided a nap would give her some energy after her long scrable to base, and set her watch to wake her up in 50 minutes. she snuggled happily into her materes, and was soon in a world of dreams.


	4. A New Way To Cominunicate

**Speechless**

_she decided a nap would give her some energy after her long scrable to base, and set her watch to wake her up in 50 minutes. she snuggled happily into her materes, and was soon in a world of dreams._

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

Sakura awoke from a peacful bliss as her watch sang out in a call off timed beaps.

she turned off the alarm, and re-made her bed. she skipped through base, happy after a nap. she poured out a tall glass of milk, and drank it with a chocolate granola bar. she checked her watch._still got some time left... yay!_ she poped over happily to her book shelf, and grabbed 'Warriors: the darkest Hour' [one of my most fave books of all time! you should read it!] and relaxed on her leather couch.

she stopped 5 minutes before bell, book marked her page, and set it away on the shelf. the vents from here to her second period class were very large, and she only had to crawl, instead of wriggling through the smaller vents. she climbed two storys of ducts, and climbed out through a janitor's closet. she slipped out into the now bustling hall of students, onlt to realize she had stupidly forgoten her books.

**Deidara's P.O.V.**

Sakra didnt show up at all for 1st period, surprising Deidara and the other boys. Deidara -as leader- ordered that they search her outwhen the bell rang. they went to the next class they knew she had with them, and searched the halls.

"Dei!" Kisame whipred urgantly. "look!" he pointed to Sakura, who was not far rom them. Deidara rounded the boys up, and they headed for the girl. Deidara stopped them as she for some reason turned around and walked in the oposite direction.

he signaled for them to follow, and they all did so. they followed the pinkette until she stopped at a janitor's closet. the boys all exchanged confused looks as they saw her look around to see if anyone was watching. she slipped inside, and Deidara stopped the door from closing completely. he turned his head and whipered "Sasori!" and held up 2 fingers. Sasori instantly delivered to him a small hook on a very long, thin string.

Deidara took it, and managed to toss the hook through the cracked doorway, and it hooked on her shirt. he waited until the halls had cleared before moving in. he knew by how the string was moving so they had less that she was somehow on the move. he opened the door, and followed the string... strait to an air vent.

"holy shit! i thought that stuff was only for people in movies!" Kisame laughed, as Itachi removed the panel. Deidara, who was holding all the string, took up the lead. the vents here were very large, and the boys could crawl easily through. they followed the string back and fourth through these metal tunnels, until they came to a huge drop.

"o my god... are those steps?" Sasori whispered peering down. "how long has she been going in here, un?" Deidara whispered, staring in disbelief. "c-come on. lets go, un." he lead the way once more, following this path lit by the light from other vents that you could see classess now at work in. suddenly, they were all able to stand strait, and there was a bright light at the end of the tunnle, shuffling sounds moving from inside.

Deidara guessed correcly that the string would lead there. walking in, he was frozen with shock at the makeshift doorway. "O MY GOD!" he gasped.

Sakura, who had been re-loading her bag, spun around but her gaze was too low to meet his eyes. Deidara stared around the room, and he could hear the Akatsuki members behind him gasping.

Sakura hung her head, obviosly thinking. she seemed to let her shoulders drop, like you would when you sigh. Sakura waved them in, and they piled out of the crampt space and into the spacious room. she pointed to a couch and she pulled two chairs (the couch fits two people). they took seats, Itachi and Deidara on the couch, the other two in chairs.

Sakura grabbed her laptop, and pulled her desk's swivle chair so she sat facing them. se typed and clicked on it, then turned it so they could see the screen. in a wordpad program, Deidara read:

hello Akatsuki.

welcome to my base since 2nd grade.

_not part of story!_

_the school Sakura goes to is special! it has classes for 1st graders to collage students. yeah, i know there probably is no such thing, but this is esential to futer story plot. all the buildings for elementry, middle, high, and collage are connected by a hallway._

_thank you. [lol]_

all the boys read, and looked at her. "your _base?_ how do you even find something like this?" Kisame asked, stunned beyond comprehension.

w-well...

when i was in the second grade, i was bullyed as usual.

i was running, i remember running into that same janitor's closet you must have followed me into.

i couldnt find somewere to hide, so i did what any little kid would do, crawl in the vents. heck, its what they did in movies.

i got lost up there for a while, but soon i used my class rooms i could see from vents to figure were i was.

a week after, something similare happened... only this time, id need to hid the whole day.

so, with a flashlight, i explored the vents i remembered being in. i did this for so many lunch breaks after, that this place became easily maped in my head. the next month, i decided i go to basement level.

i had never done so, because, well little kids don typicaly like basements. well, climing aroun the tunnle behind me, i fell. and, in doing so, i knocked off a blocking peice off metal. behind it, this room.

they read her detailed explanation, jaw droping. "so, was this stuff already here?" Sasori asked.

no. day by day, i snuck items and peices of furniture into this room.

then i spent as much free time in here as possible, assembling.

took me about a year to seat most of this up. some things are new, though.

they shook their heads in understanding, but Itachi was looking thoughtful. "Sakura. now that you can comunicate, why do you hate so much the thought of joining Akatsuki?"

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

"Sakura. now that you can comunicate, why do you hate so much the thought of joining Akatsuki?" Sakura stiffened. _uh... excuse... excuse... du, the basics of a gang._

are you kidding? Join a gang?

heck no.

gangs: drugs. theft. assault.

need i go on?

the boys read that, and they looked at her with a funny exprsion. "oi, we havent assaulted anyone, un!"

oh? you seem pretty violent to me.

and you dont call the whole chace thing 'asking nicely' do you?

Deidara growled at her angrily.

only poving my point further.

Itachi looked at her, then said "thats not it. what else?" _shit! uh..._ Sakura visibly froze up, feeling the stares of all the boys pressing in on her. it started to make her angry.

who the hell do you think you are?

i told you my story. but thats not enogh.

i just dont like gangs, ok?

Sakura knew she was physicaly seething, her face had heated, her fists were tight, she was grinding her teeth. the boys read, and looked at her. Kisame and Deidara looked guilty, while the same emotion played in the background of Sasori and Itachi's eyes.

a silance stretched, until Sakura decided to type something else.

look, im sorry.

but, some random new kids get me kicked in the back, find the only place ive ever been able to go to be alone,

demand i join some gang, then have the nerve to question me.

all in their first two days. it's... just a little stressing.

the boy read her typing, and three of them smiled, Itachi just did his Itachi bored face.

well! this is great and all, but... now iv'e missed class for the second time today.

and id like it if YOU DONT TELL **ANYONE** OF MY SECOND HOME.

she locked on their chests with a death stare, and they all seemed to undearstand. she sighed inwardly. _well... this is a problem... now..._ a tear dripped down her face. _i know longer have my speacial place..._


	5. Too Late

**Speechless**

she locked on their chests with a death stare, and they all seemed to undearstand. she sighed inwardly. '_well... this is a problem... now...'_ a tear dripped down her face. '_i know longer have my speacial place...'_

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

another tear rolled down her cheek, and she realized she was crying. she could tell the others had noticed when they stiffened, so before they could say a word, Sakura stood up, and ran out of the doorway.

she had one more place to go to, but it wasnt as special. she would go there now, to escape the Akatsuki's prying eyes as endless questioning. she climbed up the 5 storys of the school, wound through some ducts, and up 3 feet.

Sakura found herself on the roof of the school. Sakura moved over to the edge. she curled into a ball, and her eyes let loose. she cryed silently for a long 10 minutes. she dried her eyes off, and stood. the wall continued past the roof until it was just past her waist. she climbed on top, and sat so her feet dangled over the edge. her skirt and tie ruffled slightly in the wind, as her hair blew softly behind her.

she continued to cry, only lighter. tears fell off her face, and pattered to the floor 5 storys down. directly under her, would be her base. the drizzle that had been threatening for hours finaly began, making paterns of wet cement below her.

"it's raining, un." Sakura turned her head meekly, to show she had heard, already knowing it was him by his accent. "we should go inside." Sakura lifted her head to the sky, rain landed and driped of her face. she said nothing, and looked back down to the floor far below. _i feel... so lonely... so empty..._

**Deidara's P.O.V.**

Sakura ran from the room before he could say a thing. they all just stared at the darkness, and soon the string in Deidara's hand stopped moving. "hey. you guys go back to classes. ill go get her, un." with that he stood. he walked through the doorway, and began to follow the trail of the string still hooked to the pinkette's shirt.

he cursed when he got stuck for a minute in a smaller vent area, but soon came to a point that climbed up into darkness. he climbed it, and soon found himself on the school's roof. he looked to his left, and found the girl he was looking for.

she sat on a ledge, tears running down her face and disappering on the other side of the half wall. he stood, leaning on the side of the vent that made an upside-down L shape.

Rain began to drizzle down, splattering across the roof. he moved closer to her. "it's raining, un." she moved her head ever so slightly toward him. "we should go inside." he continued, single visible eye watching her.

she looked up, and for the first time he got a good look at her jade orbs, and at her face as water streaked it, her face was always covered with her own hair. she looked down at the floor, way below her, as it was pounded with the rain.

he had seen that look in her eyes. he had seen such a look before. emptyness. pain. sadness. sorrow. depresion. give it any name you want, it was the vile emotion that played your life to a living hell. he knew it well.

he saw such an emotion in his sister's eyes once. _my sister... i havent seen her in so many years... and i never will again..._ he looked at the girl before him. her pink locks were dripping, and her uniform was plastered to her skin.

"Sakura." he whispered. he reached out his hand... but before it reached her... she was gone.

_no... no... no..._ NO..._**NO!**_ **"SAKURA!"** he leaned over the wall watching as she pummeted down, like she was a part of the storm's army of pattering rain. 4 storys left... 3... 2... **"SAKURA!"**1...

the sickening thump reached Deidara as her body hit the floor of mud and grass. Deidara darted to the stairs, and bolted down them as fast as he could. he barly was aware of the fact he could break his neck as he ran at his full speed down flight after flight, story after story, step after step.

he ran down the hall so fast that teachers poked their head out to see what was going on. behind him, teachers and students streamed into the hall, before heading back into the same class.

he burst out the hall doors into the rain. vagely aware that in the mass of student who had poped out to see he had picked up the rest of the Akatsuki.

he ran to the limp body that was strewn across the muddy earth. **"SAKURA!"**he screached again, his earspliting call echoing off buildings. he dropped to his knees next to her. her eyes were half open, and dulled. it he didnt notice the very faint raising and falling of her chest, he would of thought she was already dead.

for the second time today, his sister flashed in his memory. he lifeless body had hung by that rope in her room. he remembered that just before she went up to her room, she had that empty look in her eyes.

Tears burned his eyes for the first time in years. and for the second time, he had had the chance to stop them. he had seen the warning. but he was once again to late...


	6. A Confession- Pink To Yellow

**Speechless**

_Tears burned his eyes for the first time in years. and for the second time, he had had the chance to stop them. he had seen the warning. but he was once again to late..._

**Deidara's P.O.V.**

Deidara was almost unaware of how Itachi, his second in comand, had taken up giving orders. "Kisame, go get the nurse. Sasori, keep the people comming out away. Deidara will stay with Sakura. Ill give her a basic medical examination." the other two, who were blurs at the edge of Deidara's vision, dashed off at full speed. Itachi got to his knees at Sakura's other side.

he began to straiten Sakura's limbs, assesing what was broken. "Deidara. what happened?" he asked calmly, not moving his eyes from his work.

"S-Sakura... S-suicicde..." he managed, pointing up at the roof of the 5 story building. Itachi glanced up to the ledge.

"dont worry so much. unlike most people, she had great instincts she could not deter. she landed on the ball of her feet, with her knees bent from the looks of her legs. she rolled afterward, taking even more force. her head also instinctively was covered by her hands. she hass a very high chance of survival, conidering that she didnt breaka single bone." Itachi said, he looked releaved too.

but Deidara was still a mess. "I-Itachi...i wasnt fast enogh... i didnt stop it..." he looked up, desperation glimmering in his bright blue eyes, both visible now that rain pressed his long bangs to the side of his head.

"Deidara..." Itachi was at a loss for words, and he looked misirablely down at sakura's small body. just then, Kisame reapeared, the school nurse at his side.

Itachi relayed what he had gathered, and sent Kisame to help Sasori keep others away. Itachi grabbed Sakura's back, and fished out her phone. he found 'mom' in her contacts, and called her. he only said that Sakura had an emergency, and that she should come to the school as quick as possible.

as Kisame and Sasori struggled, the teacher Kurenai burst through the ranks. "Sakura-chan!" she called moving toward the downed pinkette. tears were pouring down her face, as she knelt at the girl head. "oh, Sakura-chan! i knew something would be wrong! you never ditch class! i should have realized..." Asuma came up behind her.

"lets go. nurse Shizune said she should be ok." and the panicy teacher who seemed closest to the silent student was lead away.

"**SAKURA!**" the scream was so loud, it made all the students go silent. a women whose eye liner had run down her cheeks ran through the crowd. she flew past the two gaurding boys, who let her past. everyone, even the nurse stopped everything and watched the mother.

"**YOU! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER? YOU HURT MY SWEET CHILD!**" she clutched Sakura, staring at Deidara with a pulsing desperation. "**YOU DID THIS! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!**"

Deidara looked at her, then fell forward on his hands. "i know..." he whispered to himself. the nurse lead the panicky mom away, Sakura being carried in his arms.

Deidara flipped onto his own back, rain pouring down onto his face has he starred at a grey, clouded sky. "it's all my fault... all my fault... all my fault..." he repeated the words, tears streaming from his eyes joining with the rain water.

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

Sakura fell, falling along side the rain.

she heard Deidara scream her name. and again as she neared the floor.

she felt little pain when she hit the floor.

soon, Deidara's voice filled her ears once more, and he was bent over her. he looked blurry, but it was him. he was crying.

she could hear Itachi giving orders. Itachi then bent over her too. he fixed her arms and legs out strait.

soon, crowds were pouring around, haulted at a distance by the guarding Akatsuki. Kisame brought the nurse, and Itachi went throught her bag.

her teacher Kurenai came and went. then her mother came.

she screamed at deidara, thought Sakura didnt make the words out, her vision had begun to whiten.

she was lead away in the arms of her mother.

Sakura woke up in a hospital bed.

she looked around, and sat up.

"Sakura, un? SAKURA!" Deidara wrapped her in his arms, but she didnt move. she looked up. _what happened? i feel... sad... why?_

**Deidara's P.O.V.**

he backed up after his short hug. he watched her look up. sure enough, in her eyes, was that dull emptyness.

"Sakura. how do you feel, un?" she just looked down. "sad?" he pressed. she looked at him, eyes dark. she shook her head yes.

"Sakura..." he handed her a peice of papper and pencil. "we have to talk. you have attempted suicide."

Sakura's eyes widened. she wrote slowly.

_Dei... do you know? why im so sad?_

Sakura looked at him with desperation. "Sakura... i dont know. when did you start to feel sad.

Sakura closed her eyes tight. she knew the answer. but should she tell him? _my heart hurts... but will telling him make a diffrence?_

she sighed outwardly, the sound momentarily startling him, and she began to write.

_remember... when Itachi-san asked why i feared being in a gang?_

_1 years ago... i met with a sertain gang. the 5 called themself's the Oto-shōjo-no-ō, meaning 'the sound girl kings'_

_i 'met' with them..._

Deidara read her paper. he stared in shock, then the expresion changed to horror. "by 'met' you mean... forcibly...?" Sakura shook her head yes, her gaze resting outside her window next to her hospital bed.

"that's horrible' un! w-who's in that gang?" Sakura began to edge a few names in, painful memorys rising up once more. but she noticed... the pain began to easy, and her sadness lightened.

_kiba inuzuka,_

_neji hyuga,_

_shikamaru nara,_

_naruto uzumaki,_

_and the leader-_

Sakura stopped writing what would Deidara think if she said Itachi's, his right hand, little brother was the leader? she breathed deeper, and finished the evil boy's name.

_Sasuke Uchiha._

Deidara read through the list, then he sighed. "always new that was how Itachi's little twirp would turn out, un." he turned to Sakura. "now, you need to rest. feel any better?"

_yes. but... Deidara-san?_

_i need YOU to answer MY questions._

after reading, he smiled. "shoot, un."

_what is Akatsuki like? Itachi said its not drugs, and you say its not assult. what is it?_

Deidara thought a moment. "Akatsuki, i cant say actualy its not assualt. more like 'not direct assualt, without cause'. Akatsuki is a protection group. i guess you could call us more of an anti-gang assosiation. we come in when a gang has pulled to far out of line. like murder, or... rape. we come to protect victums." he said thoughtfully.

_thats... not at all what i was thinking it would be..._

_hmm... i guess i'll say yes._

"hm? 'yes'... what, un?" he asked confused. Sakura rolled her eyes, smiling inwardly. she pointed at the paper, to the word Akatsuki. Deidara blinked, then smiled brightly. "i told you you would join!" she handedhim the paper again, it already had more written on it.

_one more question._

_Deidara, you had a sorrow in your eyes._

_what is it that you hide?_


	7. A Confession- Yellow To Pink

**Speechless**

_one more question._

_Deidara, you had a sorrow in your eyes._

_what is it that you hide?_

**Deidara's P.O.V.**

Deidara read this, and sat for a moment, thinking. then he sighed. "it's a long story. are you sure it's important?" he looked at her, and she shook her head yes. sighing one more, he began the story.

"when i was 6 years old, i lived with my mother and older sister Deborah, [meaning 'bee]. i never knew my father, he bailed on my mother before i was born.

well... my mother was murdered, by a man who was robing the store. of course, i was sad and greived, an was left to live with Deborah, who was 18 at the time. but...

Deborah... she started to go into a deep depression. i never noticed, because she always wore that smile, but i noticed each time it seemed to get more fake.

after about a month, i was in the living room, working on some coloring books. i had colored in a bee, i remember. i had done so hard to stay in the lines, and i thought i should show Deborah.

i found her in the hall, walking to her room. i stopped her, and showed her my picture. i knew at this time that her smiles were fake, but she put on an extra large one. she told me it was beutiful, and i was so proud.

but as i gloated like a little kid, i stopped. i saw my sister's eyes... dark, sad, empty. i did nothing as she walked away to her room. after about matbe standing there for 5 minutes, i decided to follow her in..."

Deidara paused, looking down to a white tile of the floor.

"D-Deborah... had commited suicide." he puffed. "i was sent to an orphanage, in the land of earth, in a city known as Iwagakure. thats were i decided to protect others.

in the next year, at age 7, i started Akatsuki. i ran away from the orphanage, and began to travel. first, i hit the land of fire. here, i found Itachi. he wanted to pretect too.

i went to the land of wind, and found Sasori. then the land of water, were i picked up Kisame. they all had their reasons in wanting to protect. they became my closest friends, and eventualy i told them my story, and they told me theirs.

sure, there are lots more Akatsuki, all with the same ambition, but those 3 idiots were my best friends." he chuckled.

Deidara looked to Sakura, and his eyes clouded.

"the point was... i was to late too save my sister. i saw that look in her eyes... the pain and lonelyness. it was the same look that took over my eyes when i lived in the orphanages. but, after i found those boys, they did better than me. they _acted_.

i didnt do anything, and my sister was lost forever... its all my fault." he stopped talking as he was sqeezed. he realized Sakura was hugging him tightly.

she pulled back, wrote something down, and handed it to him.

_the past is the past._

_it WASNT your fault, you were young. you probably didnt understan too well back then, and you hesitated. BUT._

_guess what? this time, you acted._

Deidara stared at the paper for a good long minute. then he looked up at Sakura. for the first time ever, her bangs were out of her face, her eyes met his, and literaly for the first time ever... she was smiling.

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

Sakura looked at Deidara, who slowly smiled at her as shock was slowly replaced with joy. "Thats the first time ive ever seen you smile, un." he said happily.

Sakura covered her mouth with her hand. _Shit! I smiled? ugghhh..._

Sakura used her finger to beckon Deidara closer. _first off, i looked him in the eyes... 3 second kiss. ugg... i smiled at him... thats... tongue kissing... oh god._

Deidara moved closer, and she thrust her lips forward. she locked lips, and after 3 seconds... edged her thoung sharply into his mouth.

Instantly, she shot back once more. she clutched her head, angry at herself. Deidara was stunned completely, his gaze locked on air in front of him.

Sakura snagged her paper, and wrote.

_Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!_

as she shoved it to him without looking at him, she felt sick at the memory of his tongue.

Sakura waited tensly as she anticipated his reply. "i... i'll f-forgive that. I-IF you tell me WHY you keep doing that." his voice sounded shaky and confused. she reached her hand back, and the paper was soon replaced in it.

_years ago, after my father's... accident... i had to move in a month after it happened._

_just before we moved... my friend Ino was angry that i hadnt spoken to her again._

_she gave me three rules. each with a punishment if broken:_

_1. no eye contact- penalty: a 3 second kiss._

_2. no smiling- penalty: T-tonge kiss._

_3. of course, no talking._

_each lasts three go's, then wears off, exept 3, which only needs one._

she handed it back to him, still not looking at him. "well... havent you kissed my for three seconds, three times? he he, looks like 1. is gone... your welcome." Sakura turned her head, and looked him in the eyes. she shook her head yes, almost smiling that her eyes were no longer locked to a game of keep away.

Deidara looked down on the sheet once more, looking confused. "wait... what's three's penalty?" Sakura's whole face went red, and she turned away, shaking her head no rapidly.

she could feel Deidara's gaze peering at her curiously. then he burst out laughing. Sakura turned a pink-blushing face, to see Deidara was looking at the wall on the far side of the room. the entire Akatsuki sat, surpressing giggles, and had been their audiance the whole time.

Sakura banged her head on the window, only to fly back in fear of what she saw. the boys all jumped up as she hit the floor. "Sakura? what is it?" her eyes were wide with fear, and she looked at Deidara. he helped her up off the floor, and she pointed to the window.

just outside, siting in a chair, was Sasuke Uchiha, all his gang crowded just behind him. Sasuke's gaze was locked on one thing... Sakura.


	8. Pink, Blonde, Blue

**Speechless**

Deidara looked out the window, the silent pinkette staring in horror next to him. "Itachi." he called to the black haired man with a smooth calmness.

the onyx eyed uchiha seemed to apear next to him, looking out the window blankly. Deidara and Sakura watched his blank eyes fill with confusion. "what? its my brother. why does he matter?"

Deidara leaned over to the mans ear, and moments later his gaze's confusion was replaced with anger. "he did WHAT? to who?" Deidara was silent, so Sakura turned to look the Uchiha, looking him in the eyes.

it took him a minute, but after seeing the terror and desperation in his newly found friend's eyes, he finaly understood it was Sakura who his evil brother had raped. his anger doubled, if possible tripled.

"E-Excuse me. b-but ill be right back." Itachi was stutering in anger, the man who normaly could mask his every feeling was having troble speaking. he was so mad. Sakura swore she saw his eyes glow red and swirl.

thhe man stomped to the door, and slammed it closed. anyone in his path would crumble like ice in a flame thrower...

Sasori and Kisame moved forward, along with some others she didnt know. "what the hell was the Uchiha ass so worked up about?" a silver haired man with pink-purple eyes asked, looking completely shocked at the sullen man's out burst.

Sakura looked at him, taking in his apearence. _he curses a lot._ she figured easily. he seemed to be lacking in knowledge, but yet looked strong. like every Akatsuki boy, he was unique in his own way- most likely his bad temper.

it wasnt long before the man -most likely in his first year after highschool- noticed the jade eyes on him. he looked at her, his magenta meeting with her orbs.

"what the hell are you looking at?" he growled, and Sakura flinched away from his harsh tone. Deidara turned to Sakura, amusment perking his crystal blue eyes.

"never mind Hidan, Sakura-chan. he never means to be so harsh, un." he turned to the silvery man. "but it wouldnt be TOO hard to be a little more... polite when speaking to a girl."

the way he said that sounded so... not Deidara that it was halarious. Sakura had to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep from busting out laghing. she wrote on the paper to reply.

_said the man who tried to slug me to the moon when i didnt talk to him in the hall._

all he did was smirk guiltily, and Hidan spoke once more with less patience. "well then to hell with curticy. im going to ask again. what was SO damn important that made the man freaking piss himself?"

"yes, why Deidara-san?" a girl with blue hair and amber eyes with an oragami rose in her hair asked from beside a man with orange hair, greyish eyes, and about a million pierceings.

"uh..." he looked to Sakura. she looked at all the people in the room, the three she knew (Kisame, Sasori, and Deidara) and the 6 others who she was unsure of. she only even knew one of their names, and Hidan didnt seem like one to be able to keep a secret.

nervously, she pulled Sasori and Kisame over to Deidara, and she pointed at them. Deidara seemed to understand that she only wanted to tell these two, who other than Itachi and Deidara were literaly her only friends since Ino and Hinata.

Deidara lead the group consisting of Sakura and the two chosen boys away from the other girl out into the hallway. Sakura stood nervously between the two boys she had pulled out of the crowd. she clutched the hospital gown she was in, amazed actualy. _for the first time, i spoke of it. and now, 4 boys a met two days ago will know it._

Deidara and the other two watched her for a minute, then Deidara began to speak.

"you both know Sakura doesnt like gangs, correct? well... she had a pretty good reason it seems. Sakura was... was raped a while back by another gang, the Oto-shōjo-no-ō, or 'the sound girl kings'." both boys jaw dropped, even Sasori lost every scrap of his cool. Kisame put a hand on the pinkette's shoulder as she shrinked in their horror.

"members including: Kiba Inuzuka, Neji Hyuga, Shikamaru Nara, Naruto Uzumaki, and the leader-Sauke Uchiha." the boy's jaws contiued to fall strait to the floor. "WHAT?" Sakura was cofused- no thats an uderstatment.

that voice didnt belong to either of the men beside her, or the blonde boy who had spoken last. in fact, it belonged to a girl. Sakura turned slowly, confused on why this voice was so... familiare...

Sasori and Kisame stood protectively at her sides, while Deidara took up a space to the side a foot ahead of them. Sakura starred at the two people in the hall ahead of them. two girls, one had long purple-blue hair with greyish eyes and the other looking like Deidara in a more feminine way with pailer hair.

Sakura just staired at them, wondering. "WHAT DID YOU SAY HAPPENED TO HER?" the blonde one screamed. the one with the blue-ish hair ran full speed.

Deidara moved in front of her, catching the girl easily. only then did she realize the girl was crying. "s-s-s-Sakura-chan!" the blue girl cried out. Sakura completely froze. _that shrill voice... quick to cry... that hair color... those eyes... H-Hinata?_ Sakura ran as fast as she could, leaving the other two boys behind. Deidara let go of the girl and turned to Sakura. Hinata ran past him.

the two girls met and cryed as they hugged feircely, colapsing to the floor. all three boys stood near by, watching the reunion. "YOU DIDNT ANSWER ME!" the screa once more brought attention to the blonde. _Ino_ Sakura knew by her determination and temper.

Deidara looked up at Ino. "because you seem to know her, i guess she would want me to tell you. Sakura-chan was... raped by a gang." Ino starred at him, horrorified.

Ino starred at Sakura next. tears started running down her cheeks, but a week smile edged up her face. "y-y-you g-gone a f-few years, and y-you s-s-still get i-into trouble." she said, walking slowly. once next to her, Ino dropped to her knees. her arms tightened around Sakura, as if she would fly away. the three boys stood around awkwardly. Sakura sqeezed tighter for a minute, then stood. the girls followed her up.

Sakura took the paper Deidara still held in his hands, and wrote some messages.

_Girls-So, its Hinata and Ino_

_boys-these are my childhood friends, Ino and Hinata_

they passed around the note, Hinata looking confused- she had never known about Ino's curse. Ino herself looked down guilty.

"Ino? Hinata? you never metioned them before." Sasori said, and Sakura wrote once more. her anger at Ino started to burn once more.

_Sasori-Hinata and Ino, my mother told you about that day... she mentioned them._

_Ino-oh, and thanks for killing me on a dayly basis._

Sasori read his part out loud, and Ino read hers. Ino looked up at her. "what do you mean by that?" she asked confused. Sakura snatched her paper back.

_well... to begin with, i had know friends till two days ago. i was picked on and avoided._

_i was raped. i was chased by another gang. i lost my only lace to be alone._

_i endure pain dayly, both mental and physical. what about my life has been good since your curse?_

sure, it was harsh. but every word was true. Sakura stared hatefully at Ino, angry at how she had been so selfish back then.

Ino looked at her sadly. "well, i told you that day. i would come back, and take the dare away. today, i came to do so. Sakura, you can leave your dares behind." Sakura stared at her, she backed up, and Kisame supported her as she nearly fell again.

Sakura looked Ino in the eyes and smiled. but, she didnt speak to her. Ino looked confused, but Sakura turned away from her. she looked at Deidara, right in his eyes. she had a few words she had been dieing to say, strait to his face. she swallowed, then smiled slyly. "Deidara, you look like a girl!" she said happily.


	9. We'll Be Together Forever

**Speechless**

Sakura looked at him, and clasped a hand over her mouth. _that cant be my voice... that was my father's voice!_

nope. that didnt happen at all. as she thought that, she learched up in her bed.

Deidara was right next to her as before, this time Ino and Hinata next to him. when she looked at him, he told her that "Ino and Hinata came, they hugged on the floor, then you passed out in their arms."

Sakura's curse still pleged her, same as always. Ino looked at Sakura for a long while. then she finally spoke what had obviously been on her mind the whole time.

"Sakura... i guessed you just forgot about my rules... i didnt think you would be at their mercy for so many years... why did you keep them?"

Sakura looked at her for a long minute. instead of the anger she had felt in her dream, she felt defeated- having realized now that Ino would have never known she had not listened and could have been normal. _why DID i follow those rules?_ then she remembered. she looked around for her paper, which Deidara pressed into her hands.

_Ino, you know i dont break promises._

_you made me promise._

it seemed like an excuse but it was true, Sakura had never broken a promise once in her life. Ino nodded her head as she read her note, but still seemed guilty. "Sakura... WAIT!" her voice suddenly filled with curiosity. "your looking me in the eyes!" she blurted. then she looked sly. "so... who's the luck fella?"

Sakura face-palmed. she wrote

_neither of us could be considered 'lucky', considering the first to times we were sluging each other_

Ino read and burst out laughing, Deidara blushing behind her. "well, come on then! who is it?" Hinata purred. Ino shrugged and looked at Sakura, only for the answer to come from behind them.

"hm... that would be the blonde who's face looks like a tomato." Kisame chuckled. Deidara death stared the blue boy, a look that could kill. but, before he could even blink, the two girls were upon him. "uh... what, un?" Deidara looked confused as the girls looked him over and over.

"well, it appears that you and her have kissed. as her friends, we need to know what kind of guy yo are." Hinata told him, examining his face.

"hmm..." Ino thought out loud. "blonde with blue eyes. handsome. totaly ripped..." she lifted one of his muscular arms, an noticed how his abs were visible past his white T-shirt. Deidara lushed madly at her comments.

"well, guess he's ok in the looks department. so. do you take advantage of these looks?" Hinata asked him seriously. Deidara just looked at her, a bewildered look on his face. "WELL?" Ino pressed. "ARE you a play boy? a player? a woman charmer? ANSWER!"

Deidara smirked cazily, and busted out laughing. so did the rest of Akatsuki, not including Itachi, who was still gone. "n-not like i-id need to t-try!" he managed between laughs. he straitened up once more, and Akatsuki grew more quite. "i dont atempt to get girls, but they still seem to chase me, like most Akatsuki." he said smiling. the two girls looked at each other, then back at Deidara, then at Akatsuki.

"who the heck is Akatsuki?" Ino asked. as Deidara explained, Sakura remembered the Uchiha who had been out her window. she looked out, and to her bewilderment Itachi was standing angrily over his younger brother, one foot firmly on his back. Naruto and the others cowred not far away, watching as older Uchiha yelled at younger.

"SAKURA? YOUR in a GANG?" Hinata shouted bewildered. but Sakura didnt move. "what, un?" Deidara moved over to the bed, and looked out to the screaming Uchiha and his cowering brother. "yes, Itachi is very protective over you. now that he learns of his brother's... actions... he will make him pay, un."

"so, the one on the floor is the guy who got Sakura?" Ino hissed from beside Sakura. "we will be watching him from now on, in that case." Hinata rasped, hot with anger. Sakura looked over confused. she snagged the paper, and wrote quickly.

_what do you mean?_

_why are you here?_

_and how will you keep watch?_

"well." Ino purred happily. "we were looked up by your mother after your accident, and little did we know we live 2 neigborhoods from your house! we had our parents arange that we go to the same school." Sakura purked up, despite the fact she didnt smile, and hugged her two friends tightly.

Deidara chuckled. "hm... you know, you two are like the people we want in this club. well, what do you say, un? want to join your pink-haired friend in Akatsuki?" he asked, eyeing their behavior as he worded his invitation.

both girls looked at each other, then to Sakura. she nodded to them encouragingly. the yellow and purple girls smiled, then looked at Deidara. "i thought you'd never ask!" Ino purred cheekily. the Akatsuki behind them chuckled, as did Deidara and the girls.

yes, i know its, like, very short. but it was the end of this section, and it had to end here.


	10. Danger

**Speechless**

the next day, after returning home, Sakura was back in school. this morning, her mom bathed her in kisses, and smiling happily as Sakura actually looked her in the eyes for the first time in years.

now walking out the door, she was greeted with cold air. all around her, simple white flakes were drifting on the cold wind.

she walked down the side walk, for once enjoying the silence. she was first to the bus stop, as normal. she leaned silently on the sign post, pulling up her hood and slipping her hands into her pockets.

it took about 5 minutes, and someone else showed up to the stop. the boy looked at the girl, and his eyes bulged. he inched to her left, keeping his distance.

"uh... hey." he greeted quietly. Sakura looked up at him with jade emotionless orbs. she pulled a hand out of her pocket and waved at him, before replacing it in her pocket.

but inwardly, she was shocked to the bone. _wha? no taunts? or names? whats going on?_

it wasn't long before the rest of the stop showed up- and Sakura found they were also keeping their distance. the bus pulled up soon, and Sakura waited at the back of the line. as she reached the top of the stairs, she wrapped Minato in a hug.

caught off guard, all the blonde bus driver could do was laugh. "in a good mood today? oh, it's good to see your alright!" he smiled very happily at the pinkette.

Sakura sat down in her normal seat, whipping clean the over frosted window. for the first time, she could look out it without hair in her way.

when the Akatsuki's stop came, Sakura looked up brightly. the four boys climbed up and sat in their normal seats. "wow, you seem rather happy today, un." Deidara smirked.

Sakura nodded. "well, that's a change!" the blue man behind her chuckled. "it's good to be around you without worrying of being punched."

Sakura listened with a smile in her eyes as the group chit-chatted, and soon the bus pulled into the school.

this time, Sakura got off at her turn because the boys next to her let her, and she heard how lots of crazed murmurings had been voiced the whole ride.

waving as she passed Minato, she stepped off the bus to the sight of Hinata and Ino. Sakura tugged Deidara sleeve and slipped him a piece of paper she had written up at home.

_for first period, i want to meet with everyone at base._

_get the other three to meet at that janitor's closet, im going to get Ino and Hinata._

before the blonde could look up, Sakura walked over to the girls. she gave them both a big hug, then slipped Hinata the note so that the two girls could read it.

_girls, if your in Akatsuki you need to see base._

_there is also a meeting for first period, the four main boys will be meeting us at the entrance._

Ino listened as Hinata read it out loud, and as they did Sakura glanced behind her to see Deidara was talking with the boys about her note.

"base? that sounds pretty cool!" Ino purred. Sakura made a motion for them to flip the note over.

_but you cant go without me, ok? NEVER!_

Ino read it out loud, then both girls nodded. Sakura turned her head as Deidara ushered the three boys away. Sakura flicked her head, and started to walk to the closet of entry that the boys would be waiting at.

the three girls met with four boys soon at the door. Sakura waved them in, and they entered.

"this is base?" Ino snorted. Kisame and Deidara snickered while the emotionless pair of black and red just smirked. Sakura, rolling her eyes, removed the panel of the air vents.

she crawled up, to be followed closely by the girls, then the boys bringing up the rear. Sakura took the biggest vents, to help the boys with how big they were.

Sakura plunged down the drop silently, and turned to more tunnels. she felt the roof grow taller, and the area became completely dark as they were in basement level. Sakura felt the floor, and plugged in the two extension cords. suddenly there was a flash of light, and the two new girls gasped as they saw the huge room.

Sakura snagged her laptop, and started typing.

_Girls, welcome to base._

Sakura giggled as they awed the room.

"hey Sakura. what might these be?" Sakura turned to Sasori, who was holding the Akatsuki puppets.

Sakura blushed, scratching the back of her head.

_he he..._

_your not the only one who likes puppets..._

Sasori snickered at her. "that's good to know..." Sakura rolled her eyes. she looked around, finding this time the Akatsuki boys were looking at more of the rooms finer details.

Kisame looked interested at the fish in a bowl, watching her Bala Sharks swimming around. "these look cool..." he murmured.

Itachi was checking out her shelf full of books, actually looking interested.

Sasori was trying out her little puppets.

and Deidara was awing over her collection of sculptures on a shelf.

Sakura knocked on the metal, gain everyone's attention. she pointed at her laptop, which already had

_these are also mine_

written on it. while they were reading, she removed the huge wall panel. they looked up at the noise, and jaw dropped. knives, guns, grenades, arrows and bows, swords, nunchucks, and more all set up inside the cool compartment.

"wha...? where did you get all of that, pinky?" Kisame asked.

Sakura typed up this with a shrug.

_my dad use to be in the military, except for my Katana._

_that i got myself._

Sakura pulled out a sword in a red sheath. it's handle was golden fabric wrapped around black, with long extras length running off. after showing them, she replaced it

_don't__touch this stuff without my consent._

she warned with a stern glare. all the boys knew her strength, and now that her eyes could meet theirs it even made Itachi gulp.

she nodded, and replaced the long metal sheet over the top of the compartment. Sakura walked over to Hinata, who was join Itachi at the book shelf.

"w-what kind of books do you like, Itachi-san?" Hinata asked, looking over the books.

"Horror..." he stated blankly.

Hinata looked up, and blinked as she tilted her slightly. "i-is that all?" she asked shyly.

"hn... Mystery..." he said lightly.

Sakura was surprised- as was Deidara who was next to her. Hinata had just gotten Itachi to change his mind from a 'Hn' to an actual answer! that almost never happens... Sakura inwardly giggled, walking to Ino.

Ino was standing next to Kisame, the two of them looking at her fish. "these are called Bala Sharks... i think." Ino said tilting her head.

"yup, and they are pretty cool!" Kisame purred.

"i think i used to have some of these i while back." Ino said, smiling at nothing.

Kisame looked over at her, chuckling. Sakura headed over to Deidara, who was now back at the sculptures.

he didn't notice he come over, he was to busy searching the little clay pieces. smiling inwardly, she tugged his shirt. he looked over, startled.

"eh? what, yeah?" she pulled him with her out the room door, taking a left turn in a cave completely hidden in shadow. she lead him a short distance, before stopping.

still at basement level, she kicked of a vent cover and plunged in. she landed on a pile of mattresses, and as she hopped off, Deidara appeared through the vent.

she flicked on the light, and the small basement room was bright, revealing all of her larger clay projects.

the blonde artist looked around, ogling. "wow, this is awesome!" he gasped, dashing to the lines of clay figures, some even taller than him.

she was inwardly grinning, watching as he examined all of her art, from where she sat on top of the mattresses.

Sakura walked the blonde back to the base after flicking off the lights and climbing up into the vents where he waited. when they got back, Sakura paused, stunned, to see a bunch of grinning Akatsuki watching the door.

she walked in, shooting them a questioning look, as Deidara walked in behind her. the two exchanged a glance, watching the others who were still grinning at them.

"hey Saku. you and the blonde have some fun?" Ino teased. Sakura blushed, looking from Ino to Deidara and back again.

"eh, no. she was showing me her art, yeah!" Deidara corrected.

"he he, what KIND of art, Deidara?" Kisame grinned.

Sakura flushed darker at Kisame's implication, as did Deidara.

"dude, that's sick, un!" Deidara growled. Sakura inched away from him, toward the corner. sighing, she flipped on the TV. the others were all concentrated on Deidara, who was coming up with comebacks for everything they said.

"i repeat, we are in the middle of a tornado warning." as she heard that, she slammed a fist on the wall, turning a hard gaze on them all. the bang echoed extremely loud, and they all silenced as they looked at her.

Sasori was the first to come over, and he blinked as he read the TV's warning. his eyes widened, and he whirled around.

"a tornado is headed for the school." he stated. everyone in the room went rigged, while Sakura remembered the thick clouds that had threatened the whole morning.

jumping on her laptop, she typed

_wait here, this room is underground and safe._

_ill be right back._

she left that note, and while they were still reading, charged out of the room. Sakura ran through the vents, until the point she had to crawl. she climbed a story, now above ground.

she hurried to what she knew was an unused class room, climbed out, and peered from the window. she could hear it up in the vents, and now she saw it on the horizon.

gulping, she climbed back into the vents. she HAD to find her cousins. she moved as fast as she could, entering the elementary school building through the hallway connection vent.

she located the first room, full of little kids in the tornado position. she slipped in, perfectly silent.

she scooped up the small girl, blue hair adoring her head. this was Konan, Sakura's cousin. she had amber eyes, that widened at the sight of her cousin. but she kept quiet, and Sakura pushed her into the vent, then pulled up into them herself. replacing the vent cover, she motioned Konan to wait here.

then she was gone again, in search of her second cousin. she reached his second floor class room, also in the elementary building. the teacher wasn't even here! Sakura slipped in, and grabbed an orange haired boy's hand. purple-grey layered eyes looked up to her, but she clamped a hand over his mouth so he wouldn't speak. this was Pein, her other cousin.

she pushed him up, and stole a glance out of the window. she nearly yelped in fear, the tornado was even closer!

she crawled, leading him down a floor in the shaft, and found Konan looking scared stiff as the train like sound of the approaching tornado was growing louder. the two twins (yes, un-identical twins) followed their pink haired cousin closely, both only 5 and in kindergarten. they eventually crossed into the high school building, and the tornado was even louder.

"Sakura!" she could hear her name being called. "where are you? ! ?"

she ushered the little kids in front of her, shoving them through the tunnels. the tornado must be very close by now, but they were almost safe.

she banged around noisily, trying to alert Kisame, who she had just heard.

"Sakura!" his voice called louder. she reached the drop, and banged louder. seconds later, the tall blue figure was below her.

"Sakura!" he gasped. then he turned around, shouting "guys! i found her!"

Sakura banged again to get his attention, and he snapped around. she started to hand Konan down to him, the little girl to small to make it down the steps.

Kisame caught on quickly, and pulled her down to the safety of the basement level. Sakura took Pein in her arms tightly, and turned slightly as a loud crash was heard. Kisame's eyes widened.

"it's here!" he shouted. "come on, Sakura!" Sakura turned back to him, and jumped down the shoot. Kisame caught her, and then he scooped up the blue haired kid clutching his leg in terror.

together pink and blue ran quickly, hoping to reach the room in as little time as possible. the roaring of the tornado and crashing and screams were echoing in the vents, and both kids were clutching to their holder in tears.

"Sakura! Kisame!" Sakura could just make out Sasori ahead of them, waving frantically for them to hurry up. she charged into the room, gasping for breath as she squeezed Pein and sat on her travel bed. Kisame burst in behind her, Sasori following.

Sakura looked around. she sighed in relief, then stiffened. _1... 2... 3... 4..._ she started a head count, and she came up 1 short.

she yanked Sasori's arm, and he turned to her. she glared at him, and he knew what she was mentally asking him.

"he was gone before we could stop him, looking for you." he stated guiltily.


	11. Interview A Pink Hero

**Speechless**

Sakura wrapped Pein in the blanket, and stood. before she could be grabbed, she was out the door. she knew the tornado had hit the elementary building, and the roaring was a little too audible.

she thought she heard something, but she wasn't sure. she headed for it, going up the drop. something caught her foot, and when she looked down, she saw Itachi.

"no, you cant go up!" he growled over the noise. shaking her head, she ripped her foot from his grasp and pressed up faster than he could regain his grip.

she could hear light sounds of moment, and found Itachi following her up. "well, then you not going without me." he stated firmly. hesitantly she nodded.

"Sakura..." she thought she heard her name, and started off in the direction, Itachi following closely.

"Sakura." it was slightly louder.

"Deidara!" Itachi called.

"Itachi?" his voice echoed.

Sakura stopped abruptly. she got lower, and peered out of a vent. she spotted him, and she kicked it open. Sakura launched down, into the shadowy, torn apart room.

she had great night vision compared to both boys, so she could see Deidara- even if he couldn't see her.

"Deidara, we have to go, now!" Itachi called from next to her, his hand was planted on Sakura's shoulder so he wouldn't loose her when he couldn't see. Sakura reached forward, grabbed his arm and tugged.

"no! i'm not going back without Sakura!" before Itachi could answer, the sound of her hand slapping across Deidara's face was heard. she yanked his arm harder, and he was pulled to his feet.

"Sakura?" he gasped. she tugged harder, leading him to the vent. she put his hand on it, and he climbed up wordlessly. Itachi went up next, and he helped Sakura climb in.

Sakura froze. she could here the tornado, it was VERY close. she charged, each of her hands clasping one of the other boy's and made her way quickly in the opposite direction they had arrived.

they moved with speed, then she shoved them ahead of her, and pointed down. they came up to a hole, and Itachi climbed down, then Deidara, then Sakura.

she lead the way again, running as fast as she could and tugging the boys with her as she made her way around. she stopped suddenly as she heard the loud sound, and both boys watched with horror as something fell threw the vents and blocked their way.

un wavering, she pulled backward and took another tunnel. something else fell behind them, and both boys as well as Sakura were freaking out.

suddenly, a good bit of the vents was ripped out underneath them. Sakura, eyes narrowing, gripped both their hands. with all her might, she threw them both the distance it took to get out of danger, into the last hole so the fell to basement level.

then, with the last of her energy, she leaped hard. she crashed into the whole, pressing against the hole's wall. both boys were staring in shock at her dramatic landing, but she shoved them away, climbing up the ladder. her hand slipped into a finger catch, and she pulled. a long, thick metal sheet slid out, and she covered the hole.

leaping back down, she took both their hands in a firm grip and pulled the stunned boys to the yellowish light at the other end of the tunnel.

"Sakura! Deidara! Itachi!" literally everyone gasped. Pein and Konan came running up and hugged her legs tightly.

dropping Itachi's hand, she tossed Deidara onto the travel bed. she reached for her laptop and typed angrily.

_**WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!**_

_**I TOLD YOU TO WAIT HERE!**_

Deidara read her writing, shrinking guiltily. "you were taking to long! and we could hear it coming!" he defended.

_**Deidara! i told you, you don't know your way around up here!**_

_**you didn't know where i was going, i wasn't even in this building for fuck's sake!**_

"..." he looked away silently. she huffed, stunning everyone briefly at her audible sound. she walked over to the couch, and collapsed tiredly.

thats when two little twins burst on top of her, hugging tightly. Sakura gripped them, her mind frazzled on what could have happened to Pein and Konan.

"so, who the heck are those kids?" Kisame asked.

Pein turned to peer at the shark man. "im Pein! im Sakura's cousin!" he said, glaring at him. Kisame raised an eyebrow, smirking.

Sakura giggled inwardly, typing on the laptop.

_this is Pein and Konan, they are twins and are my cousins._

_i went to get them before anything happened._

they all nodded, examining the two kids. Konan was wearing her favorite white dress with a white origami flower in her hair. Pein had a black T-shirt on with cargo pants, and his dad had gotten him lots of piercings, before the parents were divorced and he lost all custody.

she smiled inwardly, picking up both kids as she stood. she walked over to the desk, and sat Konan down in the chair. she pulled out paper and markers, and the blue haired girl squealed happily, starting her work.

she sat Pein down in front of painting easel, and gave him some paints. he smiled excitedly, and used an over sized brush to pain randomly. she snickered inwardly at her two artistic cousins, then grabbed a hand full of clay and sat down on the couch again, randomly rubbing it.

Itachi and Sasori settled down in front of the TV, watching the weather. she listened along, silently.

"so, as you can see by this footage, the tornado is beginning to weaken. it had torn apart many neighborhoods in the county, along with half of Konaha high school. paramedics are currantly searching the school's debris for survivors, and so far there have been 26 dead, 68 alive, and 56 of those found alive are severely injured."

"dude, that gruesome..." Kisame mumbled.

_we need to go, and help search for survivors._

she typed. she made the computer beep loudly, and everyone read and nodded.

Sakura stood up, and motioned for everyone to follow. they did so, Ino and Hinata scooping up the kids. she lead them out, and opened up the tunnel she had closed, hesitantly.

nothing blocking the whole, so she continued up. she lead everyone around in the vents, apparently this was the half less harmed. at the first class vent, she kicked it open. everyone followed her out, and she look around. there was a slight noise, and she dashed to a rubble pile. she started shifting it, Kisame helping her out while the others were working around the the room.

"h-help... me..." the raspy voice came from the pile. Sakura and Kisame worked harder, pushing stuff away.

they spent the rest of the day, helping the medics pull kids out of the ruble.

as they sat down in a tent, news crew flooded in.

"we are here, at the site of the destroyed multi-grade school, with some of the healthiest survivors. they came out of the school, caring other injured student, and continued to help through this crisis." a woman stated to the camera.

"and word from the students they brought out as well as confirmation from the hero students themselves state that these students are:

Kisame Hoshigaki, recently a student at Kiri (mist) high school.

Itachi Uchiha, recently a student with his brother at Oto (sound) high school.

Sasori Tashigon, recently a student at Suna (sand) high school.

Deidara Sunasoto, recently a student at Iwa (rock) high school.

all four of these teens are from a newly moved group know as Akatsuki, a 'gang' as some put it, but these boys are refusing to call themselves that. also those who lived the experience with these boys and helped save lives are:

Ino Yamanaka, new student from the area,

Hinata Hyuga, another new student from the area,

Pein and Konan Haruno, kindergartners from this school,

and Sakura Haruno, a mute high school student.

now, lets see what these students have to say..."

(((^&^&^&^ Interviews ^&^&^&^)))

Kisame-

news: Kisame, how do feel about what has happened today?

Kisame: uh, i feel it was horrible of course. but my friend Sakura managed to keep us all safe, then told us we had to help others. so, i feel we all coped well, mainly thanks to her.

news: how would you say she helped, then?

Kisame: well, she kept us together during the storm. and she went back out during the storm to save Deidara, who went looking for her during the storm when she went out earlier on. she saved her little cousins, then went back out to save the blonde.

news: would you say she made all the right decisions? was she the one taking the lead?

Kisame: of coarse, she was defiantly the leader in the situation, and everyone was safe.

Deidara-

news: Deidara, we heard you were saved by someone today. can you say who for sure?

Deidara: yeah, un. Sakura and Itachi.

news: is it true that you witnessed her suicidal attempt recently?

Deidara: were done here. go away.

Itachi-

News: Uchiha, we have heard that you helped Sakura save your friend, Deidara. did you both willingly leave what ever shelter you had to find him?

Itachi: yes.

News: who would you say took the lead in the situation of his rescue?

Itachi: Sakura Haruno.

News: and who took over leadership in the entire crisis, that you believe?

Itachi: Sakura. that is enough, go away.

Sasori-

News: Sasori, what do you have to say to Sakura, considering the leadership your comrades say she took?

Sasori: i would say thank you. she did a well job, she kept everyone safe.

News: would you say she remained calm the entire time of the situation?

Sasori: yes.

News: how did she keep everyone else calm?

Sasori: she gave the kids some games they could play to keep them occupied, and kept the others calm simply by reassuring us.

Pein and Konan-

News: how do you guys know the others?

Pein: Sakura is our cousin, the others we just met.

News: how did your cousin keep you safe?

Konan: she was really nice, and took us inside when the tornado was close!

News: what was Sakura like during the time she was taking care of you?

Pein: she let us play a little, and she was mad at Deidara when she got him back inside.

Konan: but she calmed down after she knew he was safe. she was just worried because he wasn't when he was outside.

Ino and Hinata-

News: how do you guys know Sakura Haruno?

Hinata: w-we knew e-each other when we w-were kids.

News: how she seem to cope with the problems that came up?

Ino: by doing stuff to keep her busy. making sure everyone was ok, and keeping the kids occupied.

News: have you heard of the recent suicide attempt of Sakura?

Hinata: that is none of your concern.

Ino: this interview is over.

Sakura- (using a laptop provided by the news crew, and the Akatsuki sitting near by)

News: Sakura, what do feel about the Akatsuki you saved?

Sakura: they are close friends, and my two girls are like family.

News: are you aware that they all thank you for their survival?

Sakura: huh?

News: they all say it was you who took the lead, and you who saved them.

Sakura: er... i didn't know that...

News: how do you feel about having helped the other students?

Sakura: it was necessary, of course i would help them.

News: do you recall what happened recently, you suicide attempt?

Sakura: eh.., uh...

Deidara: OK! thats enough of that.

(((^&^&^&^ Interviews over ^&^&^&^)))

Deidara saved her from the questions, and she sighed silently from relief as Akatsuki stepped in front of the cameras protectively, and he cousins started to kick at the camera man to get them to go away.

then Sakura's mom showed up, face twisted in panic. Akatsuki parted for the mom, then returning to keep the paparazzi at bay.

"Sakura! oh, sugar! Pein, Konan, come here. i-i-i have to tell you something."

"ms. Haruno?" Itachi questioned. Sakura's mom looked up. "anything you say here and now will end up all over TV. i suggest somewhere... less occupied..."

she looked around, nodding understandingly. she lead her daughter and the twins away, most likely headed home. Akatsuki escorted them, keeping the crowd away. Ino and Hinata left with Sakura, And Akatsuki made threats at the paparazzi. then they walked to their own home.


	12. How Stupid Could You Be!

**Speechless**

Sakura, Ino, and Hinata drove with Sakura's mom and the two twins.

"Ok... we are going to my house." Mrs. Haruno said hesitantly. "Maybe everyone would like to stay the night?"

All four of the guests were crazy excited for the plan, though Sakura noticed the look in her mom's eyes. The pinkette narrowed her own, but didn't do anything.

After the short drive, they pulled into the driveway. Sakura's neighborhood was pretty much un touched in the slightest from the disaster, thank goodness.

They all bounded into the relatively big house, Sakura and her mother moving slower.

"I can see you can tell... I have horrible news for all of them..." her mom murmured.

Sakura nodded, sad for her family. Then she nearly jumped out of her skin when her phone vibrated, announcing the arrival of a text message.

Pulling it out, she read the caller ID: Kisame

_Eh? Why is he in my contacts...? Oh, I guess he did it when I left my phone at base to get Deidara..._ she thought, answering her own question. She opened the message, to read

Kisame:

Eh... Sakura, you there?

She blinked for a minute before replying: Nya? ? How did you get in my phone, Kisa? Then slipped it back into her pocket as her mom began to cook dinner.

It was shockingly fast when he replied

Kisame:

Eh... that's not important right now.

We need help...

Sakura furrowed her brow, inwardly grumbling. Meh. What is it? She answered tiredly.

Kisame:

Er, hold on...

Sakura frowned at her text message, just as there was the noise of a window opening. She glanced up from where she sat criss-cross on her bed, eyes widening wildly as a blonde entered her room.

"Kya! I hope this is her room, yeah..." she heard him mumble with an exasperated sigh. Blinking she threw the closest thing to her at his head- which was a shoe that hit its mark easily.

"What the-" he looked over at her, and crystal blue eyes met with bewildered and angry green. He just rolled his eyes as he turned to the window again.

"Oi! Yeah, this is her room, un!" he called out. Sakura blinked as a blue head pocked into her room, announcing Kisame's entrance. She threw her phone at the shark's head, frowning deeply.

He grinned guiltily, snickering. "Sorry. But you wouldn't have let us in if I told you..." Sakura rolled her eyes as Sasori and Itachi entered as well. She pulled the laptop she kept at the front of her bed closer, and asked why they were in her room.

"Hmph. well you see..." Kisame started awkwardly, and Sakura raised an eyebrow at him.

"Our house was destroyed." Sasori finished blankly, though she noted the anxiety in his eyes.

_So you came here? Wait, how do you even know were I live?! ?_

"Oh, we asked Ino before you got back with Deidara." Kisame stated calmly.

Sakura twitched lightly, showing her annoyance- and the boys took a step back wearily.

_So you thought you could just stroll into my room, eh?_

_Wait... why are you here again?_

She knew exactly what they were asking her to do, but if she was, she wanted them to suffer the embarrassment of having to ask.

"Er... could we... can we..." Kisame stumbled about, looking VERY uncomfortable to ask. He looked to his Uchiha friend, blinking silently for help.

Rolling his eyes with a sigh, Itachi took over the question. "Could the four of us stay for a night or two? Until we fix the house?"

Sakura sighed; it was no fun for the blank Uchiha to ask. She stood up, and grabbed Deidara and Itachi's sleeves and pulled them out the room and down the hall to the kitchen.

Once in the steamy down stairs room, she found her mom cooking soup. The older Haruno turned as she heard noise, and looked up with wide eyes at the men accompanying the pink haired teen.

"NYA?! Sakura? What is...?" Sakura tugged Itachi forward, knowing he was better with words, gesturing for him to ask.

"Mrs. Haruno, our home was recently destroyed. Sakura is our best friend, so we came to her." he stated calmly. "We wish to ask to stay for a night or two."

The older pinkette stared at the raven haired man for a minute, and then took in the sight of the other boys.

Just then, Ino and Hinata made their way in. "Oi, I thought I heard the Uchiha!" Ino called with a snicker as she walked in.

Sitomu, that's her mother's name, glanced from the two teens that had just entered, then at the boys. She was starting to look nervous, being anywhere near men. Even if they were just teens.

Sakura recognized the fear hidden in her mother's eyes, and grabbed her sleeve and ran out of the kitchen with her mother- leaving behind 6 confused teens.

"S-Sakura, hunny..." her mother choked down a sob. Sakura just hugged her mother closely, before writing on a note pad a quick idea.

_Mama, this is your chance._

_You can put aside your fear slowly, staring with these guys. They are only my age._

_Then when that gets better, you can be happier around other men._

Her mother read the note, and then smiled down at her daughter. "You're too smart for your own good, Saku." Sakura smiled inwardly, than frowned in and out.

_Before we do anything, tell me. What is the news you have for the girls?_

Her mother frowned, holding her head in her hands. She whispered into Sakura's ear a moment later, and the pinkette stiffened. She forced herself to relax, instead focusing on ushering her mother to the next room to announce the better of the news to the awaiting teens.

Ino and Hinata had set them down at the dining table, and both the Haruno's stood at the head. Sakura elbowed her mother after she stalled a moment, poking her afterward to hurry her on with a smile in her eyes.

Her mother took a deep breath while smiling at her daughter, then turned to the Akatsuki. "You boys can stay... on two conditions." Sakura looked to her mom curiously, as she slid into a seat between the smiling pair of Kisame and Deidara.

"Number one..." her mother stated, then her face hardened into a fierce glare."My Saku-chan is a virgin, and I expect her to STAY one." Sakura actually made a verbal groan, and she slammed her head into the table.

She could hear the hysterical laughter from everyone, and she rubbed her head with a glare at her mother, who just smiled innocently.

When everyone settled down, and Sakura was sitting with a pout and a blush deeper than a tomato, her mother continued. "The second condition, don't tell anyone about our... money condition, k boys?"

And with that, Sakura stood and motioned them to follow her. She led them all down a hall, and out a door at the back of the living room. Akatsuki were amazed as they saw a HUGE living room before them, several doors branching off. She headed straight for a room to her left, pausing to drag Kisame out of the group and up to the door. She opened it, revealing a VERY cozy, blue themed room.

He grinned crazily, taking in the room as Sakura snagged Sasori, leading him to a copy of the room with a red-gold theme. Sasori was pleased to say the least. Sakura pulled Itachi by his sleeve to a room two doors down, opening it to find a red-black themed room. Lastly, she grabbed Deidara's hand and pulled him along- finding herself blushing at the gesture, though he did not notice, thank god.

She pulled open his room, and revealed an orange-yellow themed room. She smiled happily at this room, last person to sleep in here was her, and the room had the earthly smell of clay, from when she worked on her projects in here.

Deidara smirked happily, "this room is awesome!" he purred, definitely smelling the clay as he pulled in a long deep breath.

She inwardly giggled, before an idea popped into her head. She snagged Deidara's arm again, and dragged him across the living room to one of the rooms she visited the most. She opened it with an inward smile at the strong clay scents mixed with hints of fresh paint.

There, sitting in the center of the room was a boy with black hair and eyes, and overly pale skin, painting with black ink on a canvas. The walls were lined with paintings, and pedestals with clay art. A huge pile of grey clay was stacked up in one corner, and in another a work table with tools for clay and wood strewn neatly on it. In the opposite corner of the room from the clay, wood, string, etc. was set up for her puppets.

The mostly black-and-white boy turned around, and then smiled brightly. "Sakura-chan! It seems... you have brought a boy with you..." he stated, placing down his brush and making his way over. "Hello, my name is Sai. And you are?"

Deidara smiled slightly. "Sup. I'm Deidara." at the name, Sai seemed to get curious.

"You? So, you're my little Saku-chan's newest best friend... the Akatsuki boy..." he smirked, rubbing his chin as he eyed him up and down. "You're not a play boy, are you?"

Sakura face palmed, with a sigh. Then, she slugged Sai playfully in the arm. Deidara laughed, "That's exactly what Ino asked me! So, what are you two? Like, dating or somethin?" he didn't know why, but the thought mad him slightly angry...

Sai chuckled. "No, of course not. I am her neighbor, her buddy, and her artistic partner." he stated with his strange, fake seeming smile. Sakura had slipped out of the room, it seemed, and he was left to speak with Sai, who lead him around the room, showing him the supplies and what not.

The pale boy never stopped watching him carefully, he noticed, and after the tour of the art room, he turned with a serious frown to stare at him with those bleak, emotionless black orbs.

"Deidara. I will warn you, just this once. Sakura doesn't trust to many people, but she trusts both you and those boys in your group." he stated, then he frowned, and a fierce glare that made the blonde step back took over his face. "I swear to whatever you hold high- god, your parents, your closest friend- that anyone hurts her, and they will suffer."

The ominous warning sent a shiver up his spine, and Sai stalked out of the room with a carefully blank mask. He stood there, thinking on the matter for a long time, before the door opened again. He turned, and saw Sasori pushing the door open.

His best friend must have noticed his vague look the second he walked in, because a frown etched into his face. "Deidara. What is it?"

The blonde looked at him blankly for so long, the puppet maker thought he hadn't heard him, and just as he was going to ask again, the blonde spoke. "She... trusts us..." he murmured.

_How could she trust us?_ He thought. In all of Deidara's years in Akatsuki, only _the Akatsuki_ has ever trusted him. He was Deidara the kid from the orphanages. The gang leader. A lot of people guessed he was even a play-boy. The kid who couldn't even save his sister. What was there to trust?

He didn't wait to hear what Sasori said in reply, he just walked out the open door and headed to his room- confused, bewildered, and somewhat distraught...

Sasori was left looking after him, knowing very well what must have happened.

With his own dull, blank mask, he left the art room. Instead of going to check out the puppet materials like he planned, he instead headed back to the main house.

He found just who he was looking for, Sitomu. The eldest Haruno was busy in the kitchen, stirring a pot, most likely for dinner. "Mrs. Haruno...?" he called from the walkway.

She gasped, jumping as she spun around to look at him with wide, dark blue eyes. She put a hand on her chest, taking a deep breath. "i-i-im sorry..." she stuttered, "y-yes, what do you need...?" she trailed off, wondering if she had heard his name yet, or if she had forgotten.

"Sasori, Mrs. Haruno." he said with a polite nod. She nodded back smiling nervously. "All I wanted was to ask you a few questions... concerning your daughter." he added, as the pinkette looked confused.

She nodded, turning back to her pot. "WH-what is it you want to know...?"

The redhead sat down at the little nook on a tall stool, "does Sakura have friends?" he asked, little more than a whisper.

The woman sagged with a sad sigh. "Well... there's Sai, the neighbor kid... you guys, I'm guessing... there is that bus driver Minato-k-san..." Sasori instantly took note of the suffix change, storing that in his mind as he got highly curious, and listened as she carried on, "Ino and Hinata, of course, and her little cousins... oh, and Gaara-kun." she said, happy to name the friends of her little girl.

"Gaara...?" he asked, tipping his head.

"yes, me." the deep voice came from behind the puppet maker, and Sasori turned around to see another redhead, with dark ringed, sea foam eyes and a kanji for love on his forehead.

"Hey, I'm her friend, too!" a brunette teen shouted, from right behind the younger redhead.

Sitomu laughed, "Yes, yes, there's Kankuro-kun, too. Kankuro is Gaara's older brother." she explained.

Sasori nodded to them politely, which Kankuro returned with a short wave. But Gaara remained stone.

"Why are you asking about Sakura?" He demanded shortly, his sea foam green eyes staring into Sasori's warm caramel.

"Because, I'm worried for both her, and another friend." He said vaguely, his eyes narrowed at the red head. As crazy as it was, he just had a hunch he and the similar looking teen wouldn't get along- almost as if they had been bitter enemies in a past life. Crazy, right?

Gaara stared at him blankly, his head turned when the door opened, and the object of their conversation came hesitantly through the door. As she turned after closing it, she stopped, confused by the tension. Gaara looked at her a really long time. "You, it seems, are looking people in the eyes today…"

Her cheeks flushed a light pink, and she shrugged. She looked between the pair of red haired boys, gesturing with her hand from Gaara to Sasori. The former sighed.

"Well. I am Sakura's friend Gaara Subaku, and this is my older… stupider brother Kankuro." He said, dipping his head politely.

"Well, nice to meet you. My name is Sasori Tashigon, one of Sakura's friends from school who will be staying here for a night or too." He said, dipping his head as well.

The two exchanged a glance, before Gaara turned to Kankuro. "Keep company with Saku-chan and her mother, without hitting on her, for a moment, Kankuro. Me and… Sasori, need to have a chat."

Without another word, Sasori followed as Gaara turned on his heal, heading up the stairs and leaving behind a confused Kankuro and a curious pair of Harunos.

Gaara walked into Sakura's room once more, and turned as Sasori closed the door. "_What_ were you asking about Sakura?" he demanded.

"Just if she had any friends." He replied calmly.

"I've seen you in her classes, I saw you on the bus." Gaara said slowly. His eyes were narrowed in a glare, locked on the red head. "It was one of your friends' faults she got hurt when she got off the bus. One of their fault her 'secret spot' that she hadn't even told about to Sai was ruined. You are not healthy for her. You're the Akatsuki gang, and there are some in your gang like that member Hidan."

Gaara growled at him angrily. "I didn't see you going to help her after she got hurt. And if you go to that school, why didn't _you_ help her though all this stuff? Minato said no one ever helps her."

"I don't help, because I'm only one person. I couldn't do it, because that, that accursed girl and her group only hurt her that bad when Sakura gets attention from any boy. And then your- your little play boy gang showed up!" he spat, the dead mask cracking to show his great rage.

"What do YOU know about us?" Sasori retorted with a dagger-shooting glare. The audacity of this idiot was unbearable. Acing like he knew what was best.

"Think about it!" he shouted, shoving into his face. "Sakura's greatest fear is a gang! Yet you- her so called friends- are putting her in a group of them! I know all about you group! Kakuzu the pick pocket who stole millions, Zetsu the cannibal, Hidan –who was accused of abducting 3 girls!"

Sasori shoved back the red head, out of his face. "You don't know anything about them." He snarled. "Damn it, Hidan wasn't even guilty!"

"He wasn't _found_ guilty!" Gaara retorted.

"I know what happen! And the accusation was totally a lie! Damn it, will you shut up about people you don't even know?!"

"If you insist on bring Sakura to a prison of her own fear- then no, no I won't! Did you even think to consider what would happen if those girls at her school found out you were living here?! I have to sneak around back in the middle of night just to visit her, because one of Karin's whores live right in front of Sakura's house!"

Sasori bit his tongue, before he could shout that no, he hadn't thought of that. "We never meant her any harm, you-"

"You didn't mean any harm? She's a good student, gets As, doesn't skip school, hasn't even _touched_ alcohol, and, of course, she obviously doesn't hang out with any of the wrong people. Since you've shown up, she's skipped 8 classes, missed 4 homework turn in dates, has been distracted in class, beaten by sluts two times as often, and now she's in danger of being murdered if she even takes a step outside her house!" he shouted, completely shocked at his idiocy.


	13. Chapter 13

**Speechless**

"You're a lunatic." Sasori spat. "They may be bitches, but those whores couldn't kill Sakura if they tried!"

"I'm not talking about Karin and the bitches." Gaara snarled darkly. "You _know_ who I'm talking about, bastard."

"Akatsuki wouldn't killer her either!" Sasori yowled, caramel eyes burning in pure rage. Why would Akatsuki murder their own member, when the main group practically _loved_ her?!

"I'm not TALKING about the Akatsuki, you god damn moron!" Gaara lashed, his sea foam green eyes looking like Gaara was about to explode with his anger. "I'm talking about that god damned Uchiha brat!"

Sasori blinked, suddenly all his anger at the redhead's accusations seemed insignificant to Itachi's younger, foolish, and vile little brother.

With a deep breath, the figure who had unknowingly been at the door the entire time opened it, the dreading creek sounding loudly as the nearly twin redheads turned to look at the door, gapping in surprise.

"Uh… Itachi…" the figure said softly, "isn't here in the house anymore." It was Hinata, who looked at the floor shyly. "I-I came to see if you knew where he was, Sasori-san…"

Sasori nodded, straitening up from the argument as the pair shot each other looks to talk later. As Gaara brushed passed, Sasori answered, "hai, he and Kisame have gone to see how the rest of Akatsuki fair."

"The… rest…?" she asked, surprised, "isn't it just the four of you, Sasori-san?"

"no." he said, thoughtful as he wondered over Gaara's words of warning. "There are a large group of us, Kakuzu, Hidan, Zetsu, Tobi, Madara, and the pair of half-members, Jugo and Suigetsu."

Hinata nodded, "and did they live with you?" she asked, curiously.

"They did. But I'm doubtful Miss Sitomu would house them." He answered; surprised she had even taken in the 4 of them.

Hinata shuffled her feet, "it's in a Haruno's blood to never turn away someone in need. It's a passed down trait, and Sakura is the proof- she didn't break that dare over all these years. Even the Haruno past is the same, they were all healers and fought for what was right." She informed, "Mrs. Haruno wouldn't be able to turn away extras."

"And neither could Sakura, I know that for sure." He sighed, chuckling half heartedly. _She'd probably even take in Sasuke_…

He snorted inwardly as he walked with Hinata back down stairs toward the kitchen. Even Sakura isn't THAT nice.

As he arrived to see the pair of Harunos looking at him with burning curiosity, he paused as he stepped off the last step when his phone rang.

"_Destination, for navigation. Man up your stations, feel the sensations. Surround invasion, with communication, move quick, we might- avoid contamination…"_ he clicked the answer button, turning off the 'Phenomenon' ring tone from thousand foot Krutch.

"Yo."

"_Sasori._" Itachi's voice sounded on the other end of the signal, and he seemed stressed. "_The entire place was destroyed out here. Kakuzu's stocks of back up money are gone, and there's nowhere they can go._"

Sasori gapped. "All of it?! The money was in the basement!"

"_I'm not sure. The only one who was here was Hidan, and he was knocked out cold at some point. The basement's empty, nothing's here_."

Sasori blinked as he held the phone to his ear. "Well if they have nothing, what do they do?! Sleep in the ruble all night?!"

He felt prodding on his arm, to see Sakura staring up at him with those big, glowing emerald orbs. The look she gave him demanded an answer, so he turned to her with a sigh, "7 of the other members lived with us, and the basement where everything was stored is empty. They have nothing and nowhere."

Sakura's brow furrowed and she disappeared through the door toward the back of the house.

"_Is there any plan? What can we do?_" Kisame's voice came through the receiver, _"we are trying to find something worth anything in the ruble, but we have no luck._"

He bit his lip, thinking. …'Mrs. Haruno wouldn't be able to turn away extras'… Hinata's words rang in her head, but he couldn't bring himself to ask. She wouldn't have enough rooms, let alone would the nervous Woman be glad to have 7 men in the house.

At his unsure silence, Kisame seemed to understand that there wasn't much they _could_ do. "_Is that it, then_?" he muttered into the phone.

Sakura burst into the room, panting, she gave him a long, determined look, and he blinked, surprised. Mrs. Sitomu, who had been watching with a sad look, glanced at Sakura. "I-I don't know if we can trust them, Saku…"

Sakura put her hands on her hips, a doubtful look on her face at her mother's comments, and he knew something was passed in that look only Sakura could give someone, because the elder Haruno's eyes blazed for a second in determination as well.

Sakura nodded once, as if the single emotion was decisive, and Sasori realized that the silence between the pair of pinkette's was what had bonded them to conversations with eyes alone.

And when she turned to him, he realized he could read words in her gaze as well, because he held the phone to his ear as if the gaze controlled him, not even thinking about it. "It seems we have a temporary home. Round the guys up, they are coming to visit the Harunos." He declared through the phone, and he heard a few surprised murmurs on the other end.

"_Is pinky certain about that?_" Kisame asked, unsure.

"Trust me; the face she's giving me right now is a 'fuck-you-yes-I-mean-it' face." He said, smirking at the pinkette.

She looked like she wanted to smile back, too, when he heard a few cheers before he hung up the phone. But he paused, when he noticed that behind her, Sai and Gaara stood on the stairs. Their eyes were narrowed, and their warnings flashed in his head as he stared at them, while the rest of the room's occupants talked about preparations, and then they both turned around, disappearing up the stairs out of the kitchen.

His caramel eyes flowed over the room to land on Sakura, who was looking just a hint nervous, but her eyes glowed with certainty. There was no way she was going to back down.

"everyone." The people of the room turned to look at Miss. Sitomu at her call.

Ino walked in with the twins at that moment with Deidara following, and the eldest pinkette blinked, "perfect timing… I have news for my relatives as well as anyone staying here."

Sakura shook her head, turning her back on the group. Sasori blinked, surprised, as he exchanged a glance with Deidara, who noticed, too.

The mother looked ready to have a breakdown at any moment. "Girls, Konan, Pein… your parents… the tornado… I'm sorry…" she stammered out. "Im going to be leaving for a few weeks, to… try and help find their bodies…"

Ino and Hinata were both frozen in place, and Konan burst into tears. "No!" Pein declared, crossing his arms, as tears poked in the corners of his eyes. "My mommy is fine! She wouldn't leave us alone like daddy! She's going to come back, you'll see!" he cried out defiantly.

Konan sat on the floor, her tears endless. "I want mommy! I want mommy!" she looked at Sakura at the same time as Pein did, "Sakura-nee-chan! Make Mommy come back!" she cried.

Sakura looked down at them with dark forest eyes, her mouth parting in a silent cry. She held out her hands and they both scrambled over, hugging her tightly. She put her arms around them protectively, closing her eyes tight.

_I would make everything perfect if I could. I would keep your mother with you. I would make sure of it. I would make the world safe for you. And you know that. You know Big-Brother-Sakura would make it all better if she could, and she always has. Everything will be ok, I promise you both._

To say these words, to tell them they would be safe from the truth in her arms, was all she wanted right now.

They seemed to be reading her mind, because as if the words had transferred from her hug to their minds, Pein stood up tall, whipping away his tears with a tiny fist. He looked so big and strong as he held his 2-minute-younger sister in a comforting embrace, resting his head atop hers. "Things will be ok, Ko-chan. Saku-nee-chan will make sure."

Red cheeked, and wet-eyed, she sniffed, and nodded.

Sakura felt heartbroken, but proud of Pein at the same time. She turned her head to see how her friends were taking the news, and she frowned. Pein's quite dignity wasn't matched, instead Ino was angrily disbelieving, and Hinata was frozen in place, tears streaming down her face; Sasori was trying to calm Hinata, rubbing her back soothingly with one hand, while Deidara tried his best to calm down his female-look-a-like by getting her to breathe deeply.

Walking up to Ino, Deidara stepped aside, and the pinkette looked at the angry teen, in denial. _SLAP._ The blonde girl stopped shacking in anger, her muttered protests saying it was a lie quit, a hand going to her red cheek. She clenched her teeth as more tears welled up, and the pair stood facing each other, staring into opposite eyes. Ino had her break down crying out for her mother and father, and holding Sakura tightly.

One arm around the youngest of the three childhood friends, Sakura turned to the middle of the three. She waved Sasori to shove her over, and he gently guided the purple-ish blue haired girl. With her free hand, Sakura stroked Hinata's cheek and whipped off the tears, before pulling her into a hug.

One arm around both her younger friends, almost-sisters, she held tightly. Shaking her head, she buried her face into their hair. _No more crying after this, so let it all out. Memories over depression. Big brother has you, and she won't let you go._

Sakura has always been 'Big Brother'. The doctor told her parents they were going to have a son, which is where it started. Her mom and… dad… had always joked about, calling her their 'son'. And it stuck till now, because Sakura always acted like a boy. She never liked the color pink, dark blues and earth greens which were 'boy colors' when you were young were her favorite. Instead of Disney princesses or baby dolls or cooking sets and tea parties, she finger painted, played in the dirt, had an army of little soldier people, played with hot wheels, and had the awful habit of starting fights and challenging people much bigger than her (though of course she was a tough little kid and almost always won).

Through her years without speech, she became the strong silent type, and her little cousins continued the tradition that was 'Sakura-Nee-Chan', and Big Brother Sakura.

As her two best friends quieted their depressed murmurs for their parents, she shook her head, planting a soft kiss on each of their heads; she used tissue to clean off their tears.

Deidara sighed from beside Sasori. Feeling like there was nothing good about this day, he turned his ocean blue eyes to Sasori. "Any word about the other guys, un?"

The red head nodded. "It seems the Haruno's have it in their blood to help everyone." The puppeteer responded. "Kisame and Itachi are taking the guys here as we speak."

Deidara gapped, and Sakura seemed to have over heard, because she jumped up. She was doing a counting motion on her hands as if thinking of everything she needed to do before they showed up. She turned to Sasori and Deidara, making a confused face as she held up a finger on each hand beside each other to make an eleven.

Deidara shook his head, "only ten. Jugo and Suigetsu always demand sharing a room."

She nodded in response, not bothering to question about the two names she didn't know, though Ino glanced between the male blonde and pinkette, surprised they were communicating so well, before Sakura whisked off, to go check off how many rooms they had available.

Sasori started to text Kisame and find out how long they had to help prepare, whilst Deidara came to stand in front of Hinata and Ino. "Are you all fit to meet Akatsuki's other members?" he asked gently.

Hinata paused, before nodding a yes, and Ino agreed, obviously going to choose whatever Hinata had chosen. He nodded back once in approval, before pulling two items out of his pocket. A white ring with a purple circle, and another with a light blue circle. Each had black writing on them.

"Hinata, yours says wind, Ino, yours says shatter." He said simply, handing the blue one to Ino and the purple one to Hinata. "Put them on for the meeting of the rest of Akatsuki, it doesn't matter how, yeah." He pulled on a chain around his neck, displaying a sky blue circle on his ring that hung on the necklace, "mine says green."

Ino raised a brow at him, "then shouldn't the ring be green?"

He shrugged, "I thought that would be too obvious, yeah. When I made them and painted them, I didn't want them to be tacky. That would be lame, hmm."

Sasori lifted up his hand, to display his own, on a hand with green-teal painted nails. "Mine says sphere, for whatever reason."

"Yeah, well I could have made it say Pinocchio, hmm." Deidara smirked, jogging off to catch up to Sakura.

He found her in one of the halls with all the bedrooms; she was going through each and counting up bed space. "Sakura, yeah!" he called, coming up with a smirk. She whirled around, startled.

He grinned at her brightly, "I almost forgot, this is yours." He said, pulling out another ring he had made from his clay and painted. It was a black circle, the word written in a blood-ish red. "Your ring says 'Rust', by the way, un." He added, as she inspected it. "Welcome to the brotherhood of Dawn, Saku-chan." He purred.

She smiled softly at the ring, sliding it decisively onto her right index finger, so that right before she knocked anyone out, they would realize she wasn't fighting for anything, except her 'brotherhood'.

Looking at it, she realized she was smiling. _Damn this guy…_ she thought, vaguely amused. He was about to turn away, when she grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him down to her height, and capturing him and his soft lips. She was oddly enough getting used to this idiot, making her look him in the eyes or smile.

All though he was surprised to say the least, he didn't quite back away, and she shyly probed him. He opened, still a little surprised, and she pulled him a little closer. To avoid falling over, he reached one hand out to the wall, the other hand on her hip to steady them both, as she, somehow with skill for such a normally shy girl, coaxed his own tongue into her mouth with fluid motion.

"Eh hem."

They both jumped in surprise, pulling apart, leaving a clear trailing arch as they did, and they both covered their mouths simultaneously to hide it. Heavy blushes coated their faces as they turned to see Sasori and Ino.

"I believe Sakura's mother is letting us live here if she STAYS a virgin, Deidara." Sasori pointed out.

"Smart ass, yeah." The blonde snorted. Sakura pouted with a scold, pointing accusingly at Ino.

Her blonde, childish friend looked like she was watching the love-y dove-y part of a chick flick in complete fangirl mode, "hey, it's not my fault you can't help smiling at Blondie here, or that he can't keep it in his pants~!" she giggled crazily.

Sasori, covering his chuckles with coughing, held up his phone, the red light blinking as it still recorded. "I am SO glad I can black mail you. Oh, and the guys will be here in 5 minutes~" with that, the puppeteer and blonde girl disappeared, leaving Deidara to sigh heavily. "Fuck him, un…"

Pulling out her phone, she typed up some things in an open text for him.

_If I know Ino, the news will spread. Damn gossip._

_And, I have Sasori-black mail, too~_

The blonde blinked, handing back her phone, "what could you know about him?! That guy's harder to read then withered stone, yeah!"

_Oh, it's subtle, and you cannot tell anyone…_

_He totally likes Ino, and I mean, LIKES._

He blinked, "what?! How can you tell?! You're totally fucking with me, hmm." he denied.

_You wish._

"I didn't mean it like that, pervert." He pouted, blushing.

Then, with all the purpose of the world, she smirked. She didn't smile, but she still smirked, and he watched with a devilish grin of his own. "Now you're just using the dares to your advantage."

She grabbed at him again, this time pushing him against the hall's wall, and nipping at his lip with an evil smirk.

"Maybe I did mean it like that, yeah." He chuckled evilly, wrapping one arm around her waist and lifting her off the ground with a wicked grin, before attacking mercilessly.

However, they were unaware of Sasori and Ino still peering around the corner, and a phone pleasantly recording the last use of Dare 2, as Deidara swapped the position to pin her instead, her legs carefully wrapped around his waist so as to not fall.

"Best blackmail ever." Sasori whispered.


	14. Chapter 14

**Speechless**

Sakura and Deidara returned to the main house with heavy blushes and bruised lips to find Kisame and Itachi ushering in some other people.

One she remembered meeting at the hospital briefly, Hidan if she remembered right, was looking around the small-seeming living room, before spotting the pink and yellow pair coming in the door leading to the bigger living room.

He gapped at them, looking between them, and with one glance he seemed to know what had happened. "Holy fuck, Deidara got some ass!"

Sakura shuffled, her blush growing, and inched nervously away from the crowd that made up one of the most well known gangs around the country. The seemingly age-old fear of anything male creeped up on her, as she backed up toward the door again.

Kisame, having been not an inch from her while Deidara was busy spitting foul language to the smirking silver haired guy, patted her head with a toothy grin. "Don't worry. In all honesty, most of these guys are pansies." He gestured over to a large, ginger-haired man with matching orange eyes on one knee, smiling at Pein who looked brave and defiant as Konan peered out from behind him shyly.

"Oi, Kisame, care to introduce me to the lovely lady?" cooed a face she had never seen before. White-blue hair and violet eyes, with teeth that suggested he was related by blood to the shark man. He took her hand, planting a soft kiss, "hello, my little beauty."

Sakura shrunk behind Kisame, as although this kid wasn't one of the biggest of the new comers, he was still bigger then her, though he looked to be in her grade.

Kisame shoved him away, looking unamused. "Can't you go hit on Ino? I'm sure _she'd_ punch you, and then rip of your balls."

"Who, the platinum? Yeah, I could see myself fucking her. It would be pr-" he was abruptly silenced as Sakura leaned around Kisame, a hand on his shoulder so she didn't fall as she twisted around him, nailing the shark's relative in the face, prompting the steady stream of red over his pale skin.

_Talk about MY friends, will you?!_ She mentally snorted, glaring from her place bent around Kisame's side, before swiveling back onto both feet, to glare out at the crowd as they looked at her in surprise.

Pein and Konan came over to her, Konan hanging to her side whilst Pein placed himself between Sakura and the group of people. "Listen up!" he announced in his tiny, yet oddly monotone voice for such a young kid, "Don't mock my Big Brother! Because she will hurt you, too! And He-" the ginger kid pointed to Deidara, the appointed leader of Akatsuki, "-is Saku-chan's boy friend, too! And Akatsuki will be ruled by my Saku-chan!"

Sakura sweat dropped with a grin and a blush, patting the boy on the head, shaking her head to deny the outburst. Akatsuki were glancing between the Pinkette and a glaring, yet pink faced Deidara.

The blonde suddenly decided to play along with the little kid, stalking over to Sakura, "Behold, slaves, your new queen!" he boasted, an arm around her shoulders, earning a blush brighter than her hair.

The more humor-able ones all chuckled, Itachi, Kisame, and Sasori stepping forward and onto one knee, ducking their heads. "My Queen." They said in unison.

She scratched the back of her head with an awkward smirk, her blush steadily growing.

Hidan, still smirking, called out, "now all you gotta fucking do is produce a damn Heir!"

Sakura's face turned a rather dark shade of purple, and she swished into the kitchen, hearing the laugher as she scurried away. she smirked at those idiots, they were nuts.

It felt good to do that, to smirk. She looked to a hand-held mirror she pulled out of her mom's purse beside her bags, ready for her to leave tomorrow. She looked at her normal, blank face, and then smirked again. Then she tried to smile.

She frowned. Her nose had crinkled, and she saw stress lines on her face when she smiled. She looked sadly at the mirror; she didn't have a very nice smile…

She tried again, trying not to smile at the same time, because she didn't want to see it. She hadn't really smiled in years. The way her smile was, it didn't seem like she was meant to smile, she figured with a frown. Looking at the mirror, she found sadness fit her face, and she frowned deeply again.

"I personally like the smile." Sakura looked up, surprised, to see the bulky, oversized ginger who had been talking to her cousins. He leaned on the table with one hand propping up his head, his wild ginger hair sticking out in different directions, autumn orange eyes watching with an avid understanding of what she was thinking.

She looked at him for a second; surprised he had so easily read her emotions. "Which face did you like better?" he asked, ignoring her surprise.

She blinked at the mirror, and looked back up with her blank, emotionless face in place. He shook his head, "I don't like that face. You think too much for such a blank face, your sadness, your bravery, your pride, your courage, your spurts of joy, your embarrassment, your thoughtfulness. They are all best displayed with a smile."

She tipped her head, and he pointed at her, "like that, your curiosity doesn't suit a frown."

She put a few fingers to her face, and looked at the mirror, trying to smile again. She looked the same as before, but she still didn't like it at all.

"Don't look at your face."

She blinked, furrowing her brow in confusion as she looked at him. He smiled softly, "when you look at someone, you look at their emotion. But when you look at yourself, you look at your face, because you already know most of how you feel." He said lightly.

He blinked at her, "so look at your emotion, not your face." She looked at the mirror again, just looking, not observing herself. She smiled, thinking about how stupid this was.

"You see that? That's an emotion, right there. Now just put a name to it, can you?" he asked, "because it looks very cute on you, much better than your frown."

She couldn't quite put a name to her emotion. It wasn't… disbelief, but it was close. She tried to wonder what the word that fit that thought of denial was, when he pointed to the mirror. "And there's your thoughtful look." She blinked again, a look of realization dawning in her when she realized what he was talking about.

She smiled at the idealism, the thoughtfulness of focusing on another's emotion rather than their face. And she found that she very much liked her smile, before turning to the ginger again, tipping her head.

"Hello, my name is Jugo." He greeted, extending a hand, which she shook with a smile. "Your name is Sakura, yes?" she nodded and he dipped his head politely. "Thank you for allowing us into your castle, oh Queen of the Dawn." She smiled again as he left the room.

If she was the queen, that guy was her bishop, keeping the peace.

As she stood, she decided to ponder along the train of thought as she walked toward the art room. Her mother had already gone off to show the new guys their rooms, Hinata and Ino tagging along to keep her mom from freaking out about all the males. Kisame had offered with Itachi to take her cousins upstairs to bed as it was getting really late.

She wandered through the bigger sitting room, passing by Sasori, who glanced at her curiously as he paused, before following out of boredom. When she did reach the Art room, he glanced around before going to examine puppet supplies.

Sakura grabbed her pin-sharp pencil, and a large white canvas. An image in mind, she started to sketch out Jugo's face, careful to incrust the emotional observance and understanding in his eyes. The pencil had a mind of its own as Sasori came over curiously, observing as the pencil moved fluently over the paper. Her clay sculptures were good, yes, but it took a long time for her to make the 3-D art. She liked carving and fitting and designing puppets, too, because it was a different type of art. But her true passion broke down to drawing and painting.

It wasn't long before she had the basis of Jugo, his muscular build and height concealed with a silk-like cloak, holding a long staff in one hand and a thick book in the other with one of the red clouds she used to theorize her life as a pendant on a necklace. Every detail was careful; she buckled down and etched every line with care.

Having forgot about him in her concentration, Sasori asked, "why do you suddenly have interest in Jugo?" he questioned, skeptically.

Retrieving her oil paints, she paused, and glanced at her canvas. He was so detailed, but he only took a 14th of the board. And the medieval-style cloak, book, and staff as well as adorable little glasses gave it the right feel of a peace keeper.

She smirked at Sasori, shrugging, as she began mixing colors for the perfect color of Jugo's ginger hair. She was very proud that Sasori had so easily recognized Jugo in the art work, without even any color as a hint.

Sasori watched her work, blending colors both to get the right shade and to give depth and shading. The long silk turned into this light-ish shade of black, and the part that draped only his chest to collar bone over the black was a lighter black red mix. She carefully painted in his sun kissed skin and the orange eyes, the golden staff, and brownish book. Then as the last touch, she filled in the red cloud necklace.

She paused, and looked to Sasori, tapping her ring. "Jugo keeps his ring on a chain bracelet, right hand. Same white ring with an orange circle, it says Sing." He explained, on a sticky note he drew out the kanji sign.

On the hand holding the staff that was almost his height, she drew on a silver chain around the wrist where the cloak sleeve had fallen away, adding a small white ring, and dotting it the same orange as his bright ginger hair. Taking the Kanji note, she carefully, slowly painted the word onto the red-black over-part of the coat's corner.

Glancing at the clock, she realized it had taken her a shorter amount of time than she thought, it had been only 4 hours… and now it was 2 o clock, good thing the school was destroyed, and they didn't have to go tomorrow.

She stepped back, propping up the board, and looked at it. It had been hard; to say the least, to get the look in his eyes… but it was there, at least to her. Jugo the peace-keeper.

Tucking the work away to be hidden in the closet loaded with art work and supplies for anything, she frowned, scolding Sasori, before pointing to the clock. He looked at it, snorting. "Yes, mom. I'm going to bed."

She waited till he was gone, before climbing over to her window. It was 2:26, and Gaara always snuck out back at 2:30 to leave, and since she was up, she was going to catch him for a goodnight hug, Gaara was practically her brother. The ever quite teen was harsh, but gentle when he wanted to be.

She found her way toward the room he claimed as his own, to see the red head climbing out, Kankuro having left earlier. Sneaking up around the corner, ready to pounce, he turned around and lashed out at something. Someone jumped out of the shadow, rolling along the dirt.

"Get out of here, Temari!" he spat viciously.

"You little- you've been sneaking off to a rich person's place?!" a blonde girl snarled at him, her sandy hair and dark eyes mere shadows in the dark.

"I said go HOME." He snarled, and Sakura's eyes widened when he pulled out a gun. "Come back, and you'll die."

She watched with a silent gap, Temari was Gaara's sister! Yet he was threatening her, and it didn't look like the first time, because she just spat angrily, dashing away. Gaara turned, and the gun was aimed at Sakura. "You, get out. Go the fuck away right now."

She didn't move, too scared to budge from her place peering around the corner, her emerald orbs locked on the black whole of the barrel to the gun as she become only aware of it, and her quickening breath.

He took a step toward her, and she scrambled backward, tripping to fall backward and panting in fear as he approached. His sea foam eyes grew wide as saucers, and she vaguely realized she had fallen in the square light coming from the window. Before he had the chance to even lower the gun, the window opened.

Not able to move her eyes from the gun, she couldn't tell who was at the window, when Gaara jolted in surprise as it banged open. As he turned, his finger tightened instinctively, and the loud bang echoed from the window's direction.

The red head dropped the gun in shock, and as it fell there was a lapse in time as it slowed. She turned her head is slow motion as the gun reached half way, and as it clattered to the ground in even slower motion she saw Sasori slumped against the window, holding his arm with a cringe, as well as his side from the bullet recoiled off the metal window shaft into his flesh.

Red oozed over his skin from between his fingers, soaked his pants till the material was black, and she felt the whole world sway around on her on the ground…


	15. Chapter 15

**Speechless**

She didn't know where Gaara had gone. But as she watched Sasori fall out of the window, clutching at his arm, the window snapped closed without anyone to hold it up.

In the dim light coming from the window, Sasori cringed on the dirt, and she hurried to his side, dropping to her knees, looking around, and noticed that Gaara was gone.

Remembering the training in medicine she had taken in school wasn't working, she was too afraid to remember straight.

"S-Sakura…?" she could see his coffee brown orbs peering at her from mostly closed eyes, his face twisted in pain.

Her heart stopped for a moment, her mouth dry, and she shook her head. Forgetting any dignity, she pulled off her shirt, tearing the black cloth in half, tying it around his arm, using the other half she bound the cloth over his leg which was wet with blood, and tried to help him up and sit against the tree.

Squeezing his hand tightly, she hurried to another window, one with its light on. Banging her fist against it franticly, she realized that she was crying when a wind blew chill-fully on her face.

It opened, and a groggy looking Deidara appeared in the light. He blinked in surprise at the half naked girl. She pointed toward the tree line around the back of the house, just making out Sasori's silhouette in the dark beyond the window light, as well as realizing her hands were covered in blood.

"What, un?" he questioned franticly, and she didn't wait and instead bolted back to Sasori, who was looking even paler. The cloth around his arm looked thoroughly soaked, and as Deidara hurried closer he stopped in his tracks, staring at his best friend.

She clutched at his leg, which was bleeding faster, trying to stop the bleeding. Deidara had already pulled out his phone, calling 911. The pinkette looked at his face franticly, for any sign of life.

There was a scuff mark on his face when he had fallen from the window sill, and a thin trickle of blood dripped from his mouth off is chin. His eyes were cloudy, but they still followed her moves, registering her.

She held the side of his face as his head drooped, feeling her panic rising and her fear over whelming. The side of his mouth twitched, and he smiled. He was starting to look dead, yet he smiled, and whispered, "Don't… look…" then he paused, "so down…"

She ground her teeth, her tears thickening as both her hands held up his face, looking for some way to suddenly make him better. His good arm moved, covering one of the hands on his face, gripping it meekly. "I'm… not going… anywhere yet…" he breathed. "Don't… worry."

_You're going to die… I don't want you to die… don't go yet, Sasori-kun… you survived a tornado with me… you still have that black mail to use… you still have Ino… don't go yet… don't go, Sasori!_

She clutched to him so tight, his head resting on her shoulder, not caring about the blood soaking onto her.

Deidara had run inside to get more help, saying Kakuzu had medical training, that he could help, when the ambulance's sirens rang out, growing louder. She could still feel his heart beating in his chest as she held him against her as medics and Akatsuki alike swarmed around her.

An over sized man she had seen in her living room was beside them, observing and doing something on Sasori's injured side until the medics came and prepped him for the drive to the hospital. Deidara, Itachi, and Kisame all followed, Sakura being permitted to ride alongside him in the ambulance because they couldn't get her away from him.

And through the ride, his eyes remained cloudy but following her movement, and she held his hand tightly. …_Sasori, don't die, please…_ she squeezed tighter as his eyes closed, and they flickered open again. "Good bye." He mustered. Then they closed again. And they didn't open.

Blackness. Heaviness. Dizziness. Breathlessness. Numbness.

There was a steady sound somewhere in that darkness. It annoyed him. Everything annoyed him. He was confused, wandering sightlessly, yet feeling so sick.

His head thumbed from that annoying sound. Sitting in the darkness, he had his memories. Childhood memories. Time with his parents before they died in war. Time with his grandma after they died, as she taught him puppet skills. Time with no one when she died, too. Time for a long time in an orphanage, unwanted because he was a thief kid who played with his creepy puppets. Time in 8th grade, meeting Deidara, the depressed kid who was a ward of the state in a different orphanage. Time on the run, when they ran away from their schools in the middle of the day together. Time spent traveling, meeting with members to join later. Time spent in Juvi, two years for assault. Time spent meeting his newest friend, another possible Main-Group member, Sakura. Time spent worrying after her suicide attempt, and when she went charging into a tornado twice in the same day for her family, then for his best friend. Time spent meeting Ino… And Time spent dying…

Time… Spent… Dying… Watching the wordless Pinkette's horrified and teary face. The pain in her beautiful eyes. The worry, and the mental plea for him to survive he could almost hear. Deidara, in the background, not quite strong enough to face him in this state.

The ambulance, the last minute, as he watched her those last seconds, he couldn't stop smiling. She was too sweet and caring, so worried. As his eyes closed, he felt certain that she would make Deidara a better best friend, and more than a friend.

When her hand tightened, he opened his eyes again. He had just been seeing pink, his vision blurry from blood loss, but this time he saw her picture perfect. They would deserve each other, this gentle girl and the blonde idiot. "Goodbye" he murmured, fully satisfied with his replacement.

And here he was in the dark, with memories, as that sound grew continuous and loud, until it was just a long line of a single beep. Ahead of him, through the darkness, a tunnel opened up. The end glowed bright, and he could hear something in the distance as he approached, and the annoying sound was quite completely.

'_Are you ready to die?_'

He looked around, "it seems I am. Though, I wish I wasn't."

'_Do you want to die?_'

"If it's my time. My only regret… is not getting to hear Sakura's voice." He whispered the last part, closing his eyes. She was the last person he will ever see alive…

'_Are you ready to die?_' it repeated.

He sighed, knowing that he had had plans. They seemed… insignificant now, though. "Yes."

…

…

…

…

…

…

'…_No. Return, child, they are awaiting._'

He walked into the light till it was all that was there, then it started to fade.

That annoying sound was gone. But there was another one, now. Sobbing… not a familiar sound. No one he knew. But sobbing, it sounded female.

Then that annoying sound started up, first real quiet, and only once, a fast beep. Then again, a little louder. The sobbing quieted, and a quick patter off footsteps pounded on the floor. Something fuzzy leaned over him, pink. Something wet landed on his bare chest, cold.

Another sound of hesitant footsteps, followed by something yellow, as the sound started up again. "He's breathing, un…"

The chocked sob sounded again, two small hands grasping his own as a few more small splashes spattered on his chest. The only person he knew with hands so small, with a pink head, was Sakura, and he had a pretty god idea what the wetness was, they were tears, and those were her sobs.

He smiled. This was probably the closest to hearing her speak that he would ever get. "I told… you," he puffed. "I'm…. not go… going… anywhere."

She sighed softly, and he felt her press her lips to his forehead. "H-he's alive! He's alive, yeah!" Deidara laughed joyously. "Back from the dead!"

Sakura and Deidara hadn't left his side at the same time even once, the 6 days Sasori was unresponsive in the hospital. They wouldn't have been able to keep the red head alive for so long if it hadn't been for the 3 female Akatsuki's rich families. On the 7th day, Deidara had gone for his shower, and Sakura was in the room along. Then Sasori died. Deidara came back within that minute, to find the sound of the heart monitor replaced with the actual, verbal sobs of the pinkette.

He tried his best to console her, and it was about an hour and a half later after Sasori was confirmed dead, that he lived again.

When the red head had fallen asleep again, Sakura passed out from her exhaustion, having not slept in the past 2 days.

Deidara stood there leaning on the wall beside the rather large bed at some deluxe room in the hospital that Sakura had booked for Sasori.

Most people would be pissed, seeing their best friend and the girl you were pretty much in love with in the same bed. The blonde couldn't be more relieved.

Sasori was alive and getting better quickly. Sakura was finally sleeping like he had been trying to coax her to do since days ago.

Many of Akatsuki repeatedly visited to see the live teen. Jugo, who had taken a particular interest in Sakura, visited almost as much as Itachi and Kisame. Jugo and Sakura would sit together, occasionally with a mirror, and talk (or Jugo would talk, anyway).

It happened so often, once a week at a minimum. When Jugo left, Sakura would smile more than ever. And aside from the fact she was happy, he started to get really angry when the ginger would show up. Angry that he made her smile so much. Angry with how… persistent he was.

So, when Suigetsu came for a visit with him one day, he pulled him aside, in the hall. Jugo was Suigetsu's adopted brother; they knew everything about each other.

And of course after explaining to the hot headed kid that if you insult any of Sakura's friends like he had Ino the day he was socked in the face, he and the pinkette were getting along much better.

"Do you know if Jugo has any… interests? In any particular people, yeah?"

"You mean Sakura." He pointed out bluntly, glancing in through the doorway to see Jugo and Sakura in one of their 'sessions'.

The blonde twitched. "… Maybe, hmm."

"Yes?" he pressed, smirking that toothy grin just like Kisame.

"Fine, yes." Deidara sighed, annoyed.

Suigetsu shrugged, "oh, and by the way, Jugo has A LOT of interest in Sakura-chan. I've over heard their conversations, their pretty weird. All… mushy and emotional and deep." He stuck out his tongue in distaste, shrugging again.

Deidara reentered the room feeling even more annoyed. And to top off his pissed mood, Jugo pointed to him and whispered something, making Sakura look away when the blonde glanced their way.

"JUGO. Might I see you in the hall for a moment, yeah?" he ground out.

The ginger stood, "I'll be back in a moment, Saku-chan." He said softly, only furthering the blonde's anger.

"Stay away from Sakura." He spat bluntly, glaring as they reached the hall out of ear shot.

Jugo merely blinked, "Deidara-san, I understand your jealousy, but I'm afraid I can't."

"I'm not jealous, asshole. Stay away from her or else."

"You have no reason to be so worked up, Deidara-san." Jugo soothed, "Sakura just… needs a little help. She is severely over stressed, Deidara, you're not quite taking into consideration everything."

Deidara raised a brow, an invitation for explanation. So Jugo pointed to Sasori. "His condition, of course. She very much believes it is her fault and that she didn't do enough. She won't tell me, but she also thinks that how he got shot is her fault. Her mother is gone while a large group moved into her house –all of which men, which you know she has great fear of- as well as the strain of her silence which she has had for quite the while. She also has a few personal problems between her and her appearance."

Deidara blinked; surprised she thought everything related to Sasori was her fault so strongly. "Then, there's also the strain of your relationship. Your jealousy makes her feel guilty. Your presence simultaneously scares, comforts and confuses her. It also puts her inferiority complex to its breaking point, as well does the relation pose a serious outside threat that she is highly aware of, considering a group of girls at the school. And if you bring in the school alone, you can add even more to her list: her grades have been slipping since joining Akatsuki, which worries her if she made a bad choice, which she doesn't want to take back. Constant teasing. Basic school stress as well."

Deidara crossed his arms, shaking his head guiltily that their knowing each other could cause so much stress as he watched her moving about Sasori's body, whom had woken up while they had been talking. His arm and lower torso were bandaged tightly, but he has a smile as he watched her moving around his bed like an anxious mother- or, as many who've known Sakura a long time call her, a big brother.

He sighed, leaning on the door way, with Jugo beside him. Sasori had a new fondness in his eyes for the worryful pinkette he couldn't remember seeing there for anyone, ever.

A mix of respect, and love. A silent understanding waved about the puppet master toward Sakura, as he watched with that smile while she fussed over him in her quite pacing of the bed.

The way Sakura acted, it was like she thought she had stood there, doing absolutely nothing, where as Sasori saw it that she had done everything to be done.

He found it great the pair had seeming forged such a tight family bond in one night. Whereas Akatsuki were family enough that they would protect each other to a pretty large extent, this was the kind of bond that would drive one or the other fight forever. Plus the familial bond they had was so powerful now… something about the fact they had been so close at that moment warmed him to the bone, yet he couldn't forget what Jugo said about her stress.

Back to present time, he watched over the sleeping pinkette and red haired teens with a warm smile. Thinking they were both fine, he stretched, and headed down to the cafeteria to grab something for all three of them.

For whatever reason, he woke up. There had been no sounds to wake him. Nothing. But he woke up sharply, feeling whatever reason he had to be cautious. Cracking an eye, expecting he was just being paranoid, he bolted upright, and ignored the stinging of his mostly healed wounds.

The younger Uchiha lurched backward from where he had been preparing to scoop up the pink girl in bed beside him, which the injured artist now leaned over with a vicious glare, a protective barrio as he protected her.

The chicken-assed-hair Uchiha teen glared his line of members to his own gang behind him. "Go back to sleep, Scorpion. This has no concern of you."

Blinking coldly, he didn't reply, but remained in his protective position over the exhausted Sakura.

"You're injured; think about what you're doing here." Sasuke hissed, "You can't take all of us."

"Are you kidding? I've been in worse scraps over crap much less important~" he growled with a smirked. "Take a step forward, and you'll get another pole shoved up your ass. Wake her up, and ill tear your ass off and shove it down your throat."

"Wake her up? That's going to be the least of her worries, when I'm though with her." He hissed with a lopsided smirk, staring straight to Sakura.

Then she shifted, pushing away from Sasuke's direction, and glancing down, he paused, staring into terrified apple orbs. She had already been awake from the moment Sasori had shifted to bar the offender's way. He grinned up at Sasuke with a crazy gleam in his eyes, and the Uchiha kid looked slightly unnerved.

"You woke her up." He hissed, standing up from the bed, staring him down. "Remember brat, I've done some time for beating little shrimps like you." He stepped toward the Uchiha kid, who took a step back, yet was mindful not to move too far from Sakura.

There was a pause with Sasuke, as he glared up at Sasori, a good 4 or 5 inches taller, and his shirtless torso may have been bandaged lower, but you could still see the raw muscle flexing with each step. He knew he wouldn't win against Sasori.

"… Kiba, Naruto. Shut this fool up." Sasuke ordered, with a disgusting grin. As the brunette and blonde figures stepped forward hesitantly, Sasori slid two knives out from between the cushions, which he knew Itachi's habit of doing for anyone he knew who fell ill or injured. Sending a silent thank you to the eldest Uchiha, he watched as the youngest one's men backed up again, now utterly weary of the blade wielding, VERY pissed teen.

He felt something beside him, and slightly behind to his left, she stood ready to help despite the horror in her eyes, the third and last knife in her hand.

At the sight of two opponents, the pair meant to face him exchanged a glance, but none the less, they scowled at the scorpion before charging at him, pocket knives at the ready for themselves.

Dodging the brunette with another silent thank you that the hospital didn't allow dogs, he ducked under Naruto's blade before almost jamming his short dagger into Naruto's gut. The blonde bounced back in the last second, and Sasori twisted to avoid Kiba again.

He felt his arm throb painfully, and became certain that the wound on his side was open thanks to the searing burn, but ignoring the pain, he managed to sock the brown haired dog lover in the side of the head, and he fell back, knocked out cold.

There was a clattering as he dodged Naruto again, and he glanced back to see that the Neji guy was attempting to grab Sakura, whom had missed at nailing him in the face to instead smash a fist into the wall above the bed.

She tried to pull out her hand, but it was stuck, and Neji was joined by Sasuke as the pair came up to Sakura.

Tensing to charge at them, he was intercepted by Naruto as the blonde he had forgotten plunged the switchblade into his arm, where he was already injured.

Gritting his teeth, he stayed on his feet, and turned to the blonde with a look of utter malice. The blue eyed kid scrambled back, and Sasori turned to the two who were, with struggle, pinning her arms behind her back as Sasuke held a blade to her chin, grinning with a sickening look in his eyes that only made the pinkette's breath come quicker.

With angry, careful aiming, he threw one of his blades, which buried deep into the raven haired boy's hand, going all the way through, and forcing the knife in the hand to drop uselessly to the floor.

In her hasty fear, she elbowed Neji sharply in the side, before giving him a kick so powerful in the nether region, the long haired boy collapsed to the floor.

Sasuke made to lunge at Sakura again, ignoring his one useless hand, but Sasori nailed him so hard in the face he felt the cracking in more than just the nose, but all around the face, as well as in his own hand. His right side was getting MAULED lately.

The pair of red and pink panted, and Sasori noticed with a glare that the 5th one, Shikamaru, was standing in the corner. "I will take no part in this." The Nara kid answered the blood-lusting look. With that, he left the room, Naruto as the only other conscious person hurrying after.

With a cringe he pulled the knife from his arm, and turned to Sakura. She was shaking violently where she stood, trembling uncontrollably as she starred down at Sasuke just in front of her.

With a frown at her terror, he put use of his still good arm, trapping her in a single-limb hug. "See? Your fine, Sakura, I'm not letting some jack ass Uchiha take you."

There was a surprised gasp from the door way, and Deidara came hurrying in with two visitors, Hidan and Kakuzu. The pair followed the blonde in, looking around with shocked faces.

"Is she ok?" Deidara demanded, taking care to step on Sasuke as he came to the pair.

"Aside from the shock, nothing but a few scrapes on her hand for putting a hole in the wall again." Sasori said with a smirk. "Even as petrified as she was, she still knocked out Neji pretty good." He added, glaring down at the Hyuuga.

Deidara smirked, and then turned to the other pair of Akatsuki. "Come on, yeah. Let's get the garbage out of here, into another room, un." He ushered, slinging the out-cold Kiba over his shoulder. Hidan snorted, lifting up Neji and Sasuke without much care, and the two left.

Kakuzu made his way over to Sasori, "sit down before you die of bleeding again." He reminded with a scowl. Sakura blinked, and started pushing him to the bed, forgetting completely about her fear as she scolded him silently.

With a smile from Sakura's motherly discipline, he settled back onto the bed. While Kakuzu left to get some nurses to fix the re-opened wounds, Sakura frowned down worriedly at Sasori. He smirked back up at her, "calm down, I've been worse."

She raised a brow, an 'oh-so-you've-died-and-came-back-to-fight-a-stuck- up-brat-and-get-injured-again?' look. You don't see one of those that often.

He shook his head, "maybe not, then. But I'm still fine, don't look so depressed." He purred, "You make it look like I'm going to die again." She just smiled at him, sighing.

The audible sound made him blink, "you know, you've been more vocal than ever." He commented absently, feeling his injured arm burning intensely and his re-opened side sting, his hand throbbing painfully from where it was broken.

She blinked at him, not sure what he meant, and he smiled again at her ignorance. "What IS the penalty for speaking anyway?" he asked curiously, not really expecting an answer.

She glanced around as if expecting someone to leap out from the shadows, before sliding out her phone, and as she wrote whatever she wrote, a very bright blush rose over her face.

When she handed him the message hesitantly, his eyes widened a little. "… Well then…" he laughed, handing it back, "be careful who you talk to!"

She smirked, erasing the words on the message, before replacing the phone in her pocket as Deidara and Hidan returned. Both seemed to simultaneously notice the flush of her face, Deidara because he noticed everything about Sakura, and Hidan because he always recognized the signs of something either sexual or perverted.

Kakuzu saved the pair from explanations to awkward questions as he entered with a stream of nurses, two of which took strait to Sasori, and the other three to Sakura. Deidara smirked from where he was, "by the way, the news crews are coming again."

…well, if nothing else, that explains why the nurses want to help so much…

Great, more Interviews.


	16. Chapter 16

**Speechless**

The news crew had been alerted to Sasori's gunshot wounds by a hospital insider who had remembered him from the 'Hero Students' report on the news two days back, and they had planned on getting Interviews the day he had died. Within the time he was dead, the Interview was called off, only for them to receive the 'promising news' that the red head had lived again after an hour and a half.

So, within the next heart beat, news crew flooded the expensive, large deluxe room. Sasori, in his bed with fresh bandages with a wall of hopeful women behind him that worked in the hospital hoping to get on TV, Sakura stood cross armed and glaring at the crew. She was a wall that none of them even wanted to approach.

Pulling out her phone again as news anchors reported their 'on the scene' reports, she typed up a message and handed it to the nearest woman with a camera from FOX 13.

The lady looked into the camera, the guy holding it so Sakura was just behind her. "I'm here with Sakura Haruno, 'Lead Hero Student' of Konaha Multi-School, in the hospital room of 'Hero Student' Sasori Tashigon. After a recent double-shoot, Sasori Akasuna reputably died for over an hour to make a spotless recovery, thanks to the bed-side aid of Mrs. Haruno and 'Hero Student' Deidara Suna." She said with a smile into the camera.

She held the phone up to read it, "And this Mute Hero has just given me an exclusive message that all interviews will be completed, but at a distance from the injured Hero Student, until he is ready to speak with the cameras." She looked into the camera with a bright smile, "Mrs. Haruno is certainly one compassionate girl for her friend!"

At the read-aloud comment that other camera men had recorded live as well, Hidan and Kakuzu exchanged a glance, acting as guards and shuffling the camera men away from Sasori and the pinkette.

The scorpion had been watching with interest from where he sat on the bed, his back against wall, as the nurses ushered themselves after the news crews in hopes of getting on air by offering notes and witness reports to his injuries.

Sakura quickly sent a mass-text to the other members who she had the numbers of (Itachi, Kisame, Jugo, Suigetsu and both the girls) also sending a message to Ino and Hinata to bring her twin cousins.

And they all arrived in moments, amazed, as the camera men set up, getting shots for the live view of the two guards keeping them on that half of the room and getting distance shots of Sakura tending to Sasori, who kept saying he was fine and could go through with the interview with a smile. She didn't seem to think so, acting like if a camera aimed at him, it would fire a bullet as well.

As Akatsuki flooded in, some she hadn't texted yet had seen visit coming along, news teams swarmed them, taking them by surprise, and Sakura stormed over, ushering them all back with angry gestures and a throaty growl.

Akatsuki, shocked to hear verbal sounds, took the moment to quickly move toward the other, less crowded side of the room. Itachi put a hand on her shoulder, a look with a emotion of anger that clearly stated Deidara had sent him a txt about his younger brother, before he lead her away, steering to a quiet corner as Akatsuki moved to Sasori, who was chuckling at angry Sakura.

"What happened exactly?" he demanded, a note of pure rage in his voice.

She made delicate hand motions for him to settle down, taking deep breaths which he copied. She gave him a smiled as reassurance, and pulled out the three knives she had picked up to get rid of evidence of the conflict, one pair spattered with Sasori's blood and the other in drywall from when she had missed Neji, giving him a thumbs up.

He blinked, smirking. "I told Kisame leaving these between the mattresses would come in handy, it worked for me once."

Blinking in curiosity as he took the weapons and turned she followed him back to the group. Texting on her phone, she handed the message to Itachi. He read it aloud with his monotone back on again, "Akatsuki, prepare for the interviews, all of you." He announced, "Sakura needs you to remember though, that you can't say anything about living with her, or that she, Ino, or Hinata are rich."

They all nodded, and Sakura sighed, walking over to the cameras that were surrounded by people looking at her excitedly.

**Pein and Konan (volunteering to go first)**

News lady: hello, little ones, are you happy to be live on the air again?

Konan: ya!

Pein: when I'm older, I'll be on T.V. all the time.

New man: do you remember last time you were on T.V. after the tornado? Can you tell everyone what happened?

Konan: Yes, when Saku-nee-chan helped everyone!

Pein: I helped pull a lady out of a pile of wood with Sasori-kun!

New lady: oh, really? Can you tell us what happened to Sasori-san recently?

Pein: Sasori-kun said he opened the window, and he heard running after he got really hurt.

Konan: *nodding* Sasi-kun said he saw Sakura-chan looking scared through the window, and he was trying to help her.

**Kisame**

News man: what can you say about Sasori's condition?

Kisame: he's… bed ridden, of course. He'll be better soon, though, he's healing fast.

News lady: has anything significant happened recently to warrant someone wanting to harm Sasori?

Kisame: uh, no, nothing I can say. Then again, we've all had our enemies.

**Hidan**

News lady: how long have you known any of the Hero-Students?

Hidan: I've known them a long *beep*ing time.

News man: how many enemies would you say your 'group' has that would go so far as to shoot Sasori, or scare Sakura at her own house?

Hidan: …

News lady: I think we have our answer!

**Deidara**

News man: our reports say you were there when the paramedics arrived.

News lady: can you explain in detail what you know has happened? What you were there for?

Deidara: uh, yeah, sure. Sakura came to my… house, and dragged me not too far away where Sasori was sitting, un. He was bleeding, and she had used her shirt in attempts to stop the bleeding, and since she couldn't talk, I called the ambulance, while she tried to help Sasori.

News man: where did the others come in?

Deidara: Sasori is their friend, all Akatsuki respected him. And Kakuzu wasn't too far away, he had some medical training.

**Kakuzu**

News lady: so far we've heard you tried to help treat Sasori.

Kakuzu: yes.

News man: what did the scene of the shooting look like as you approached?

Kakuzu: I remember it was dark, and it took me a moment to see him, but Sasori was sitting against a tree. Blood soaked down his arm and into his pants, and his eyes looked dull.

News lady: is this the point where you saw Sakura trying to help him?

Kakuzu: yes. She was a little frazzled, and her shirt wasn't stopping the bleeding well, but she had tried.

**Itachi**

Itachi: I'm not going to answer any questions.

News lady: but isn't it true your own brother is an enemy to Sakura and the Akatsuki?

News: is it possible he's responsible for the shooting?

Itachi: go away.

**Jugo**

News man: what's your relation to Sakura?

Jugo: I am merely a fellow Akatsuki member, and a friend.

News lady: the nurses tell us that they have seen you two talking a lot, and about odd conversations. What could that mean?

Jugo: it simply means I'm trying to help a dear friend through troubled times of tornados, her friend getting shot, and the stress of worrying over her other friends and family.

Suigetsu (in the back ground): you tell them, bro!

**Suigetsu**

News man: sir, how well do you know Ms. Haruno?

Suigetsu: *smirking* oh, Lady Sakura is the queen of Akatsuki, don't you know? Her little prince, Pein, declared it himself.

News lady: so, would that mean, or would you say, that Sakura has become a leader in Akatsuki?

Suigetsu: oh, I'm a hundred percent certain she's up there. She'd probably tie with 'King Deidara' in getting loyalties from the rest of us Akatsuki. But what would I know, I'm only a half member~!

**Ino**

News man: hospital records say you have visited a little more often than most Akatsuki to Sasori's room. What is your relation to the victim?

Ino: friends… just friends.

News lady: and as one of Sakura's oldest friends, can you judge how she's been acting the whole time in the hospital?

Ino: she's actually been a little more open, but only for Akatsuki. You could always tell she had respect for Akatsuki's main group, but now if you look over there you can see how much more then respect it is between the pair- they're like brother and sister.

*camera pans to see Sakura tiding over Sasori*

Sasori: *smiling* I promise you, I'm fine.

Sakura: *doubtful scold*

Deidara: *beside them* your such a mom.

**Hinata**

News man: what can you say about Sasori's shooting?

Hinata: w-well, we know that Sakura is trying her best to help Sasori, and that he himself is getting m-much better quickly.

News lady: would you please tell us how strong Sakura's conviction to helping Sasori is?

Hinata: Sh-she hasn't left his room longer than 30 minutes even once yet, o-only for showers and to get food or a nurse. And Deidara told me she went 2 or 3 days without sleeping a few times.

**Sakura (with a laptop, and Akatsuki once more ready to intervene.)**

News man: Sakura-san, we've been told you are a member of Akatsuki since even when you were last interviewed.

Sakura: yes, I am a member of Akatsuki.

News lady: can you tell us your position in the group? Has it altered since the country last knew of Sakura Haruno's Heroism?

Sakura: I… I can't say, I would have to ask Deidara-sama, he is the leader. *looks o Deidara standing a few feet from her side.

*camera pans to him as he smirks*

Deidara: think about, my queen. You never really were low in the chain of command to begin with; you're at my side of course. I'm pretty sure they would be pretty angry with any less *points to surrounding Akatsuki*

*camera pans to include all the nodded, chuckling and smirking boys*

Sakura: I-I guess me and Itachi-san are both co-secondary leaders now.

News man: and can you, 'Akatsuki Queen', disclose us some information about what happened? Who shot Sasori?

Sakura: I-I can't say.

News lady: but surely you must announce it for Sasori's sake!

Sasori (in the background): shut up, she doesn't have to say _anything_ for my sake. She's done _enough_, unless FOX thinks otherwise and is going to criticize her Heroism.

News lady: (from FOX network) n-no, no. she doesn't have to say anything.

**Sasori**

(Only one camera man and news guy allowed, Sakura had declared)

News man: I'm here, lucky enough to be approved by Ms. Sakura Haruno to speak directly with Sasori, the teen who returned from death only a few days after taking part in a rescue at his school after a devastating tornado. *turns to Sasori* Sakura has declared you ok for an interview, is there anything you would like to say to the public about how Sakura has done her best to help you these past two weeks?

Sasori: I'd like to, thank you. I just want let those of you know, Sakura is a hero, treat her otherwise, and you'll see me on your door step with the same gun I was shot with trying to help her.

News man: trying to help her with what? And what about this gun? You have it in your possession?

Sasori: yes I do have it. But I am not pressing charges.*looks into the camera* you know who you are, because I know who you are. Its time you came out, we need to have a talk.

News man: so you know the person who shot you?

Sasori: yes. That was your last question, please go.


	17. Chapter 17

**Speechless**

Sakura drove Sasori and Deidara home from the hospital. It had been 2 days since the interview, and the puppeteer had been released today. Sakura's mom had delayed going out until yesterday, so she prepared herself mentally for being along in the house for a few weeks with the Akatsuki gang.

As she pulled into the drive way, she noticed Itachi in the window of her living room, holding up Konan and Pein in both his arms with a smile on all three of their faces. In her bedroom window, though, Sasori and Deidara made out two figures that chilled them both: Sai and Gaara.

Entering the house, Sakura hurried to greet Itachi and her two cousins, while the artist Duo nodded at each other and headed up stairs.

Sai was on his way down, and he stopped Deidara. "Pinocchio and Panda-boy need to talk alone." He said with a blank, emotionless face.

Sasori, ignoring the name, continued on after a glance with Deidara. He entered Sakura's room, to see Gaara standing with his head hung in front of the window, his body turned to the door. Upon his entrance, he raised his head to stare at the look-a-like.

Sasori still had a bandage tapped to his cheek from his fight with Sasuke, and had only a change of pants and underwear after the hospital gown, so the bandaged torso was in full view. The sea foam eyes stared at it blankly, then followed Sasori's movements as he reached into a hidden pocket on the inside of his pants.

He pulled out the black, L-shaped weapon he had been shot with, pointing the end at the Insomniac teen in front of him. Neither said a word to each other, Gaara looked tense but didn't have more than a dull look in his eyes.

Sasori dropped the gun to the floor. Gaara blinked slowly in surprise as the puppeteer kicked it his way. His coffee brown eyes stared down the other red head as he spoke, "If you ever hold a gun to Sakura again, I won't hesitate to pull a trigger." He hissed, turning on his heal and walking out the door.

Just as it closed, he heard Gaara's answer of "I will never do so purposely."

Itachi lead Sakura toward the back of the house after short conversation, heading for a room she had been told was assigned to the secondary leader, under Deidara, but controlled the Secondary members (not including Deidara, Itachi, Sasori, or Kisame.).

As Itachi opened the door, she saw the blue-grey room's theme, and a figure turned to face her. Long, spiky black hair. One visible red eye, the other covered in bangs. A cello rested against the wall in the far corner, and the man was dressed in what appeared to be traditional Japanese robes of black and red.

He smiled brightly in greeting. "Itachi-kun. You bring the lovely Queen to my quarters?" he asked, stepping up to her. He dipped his head into a full bow, taking her hand, and planting a soft kiss on it. "My Queen, I am in your service my beautiful madam."

Sakura's face flushed bright red, and she slid behind Itachi when she got her hand back, peering around the smirking teen.

"Sakura, this is my cousin, Madara." He introduced, "Madara, please don't scare Sakura."

Madara laughed; "of course not, I only mean to be of any assistance she may need." he defended himself. "I would love to assist such a lovely flower."

Itachi sighed, "Madara, YOU requested to speak with her. What is it YOU need help with?" he asked.

"Just a message for our hostess. I want her to be careful, some of our members are a little… off-putting, but they mean well." He grinned brightly, taking her hand again from where it had been resting on Itachi's side, and pulling her out and into his other arm. "And my queen, I mean _very_ well." Her purred into her ear, earning a shiver and a puff of fear.

Itachi lifted her from his cousin's grip, setting her down beside himself. She slid behind him again, this time her hands tight on the cloth of his blue-and-white plaid button up. Glaring down at his one-year-older cousin who was half an inch shorter, he growled threateningly. "Madara, I told you the terms of being allowed to live here."

The older teen ravenette sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know. The Queen belongs to the King only." He sighed again, looking severely annoyed.

Sakura blinked, looking at Itachi with a mild glare. _I don't belong to anyone._ Itachi gave her a silent smirk, before looking back to Madara with a glare. "I said that you had better not touch her, she isn't _yours_."

Madara shrugged with an unhappy, _unsatisfied_ look. "Yes, cousin, yes, I got it." He mumbled with a pout. "But how can you put me in the presence of such a beautiful flower, and expect me to act blind to such beauty?" he asked, sending a wink her way.

She peered out shyly from around Itachi's side. Itachi must have felt the burn of her blushing, because he seemed to shift a millimeter away. She didn't dislike Madara- but WOW… she was not used to THAT…

Itachi twitched, "get used to it, Cousin, or you can go back to living at the heap that was your house." With a guiding hand on Sakura's shoulder, he turned her in a 180, and gently pushed her to the door.

He smirked at her when he closed the white-painted entrance into Madara's room. "If he steps out of line, call me, and I'll put him back in his place, ok Saku?" when she nodded with a smile, he glided back seemingly footlessly down the hall and into his own bedroom, two doors down. Then, the door between Itachi and Madara's rooms opened.

She blinked as a face she hadn't noticed before walked out. Well, she shouldn't say face… the man who stepped out, or boy, was two inches shorter than her, with messy black hair and… and an orange, swirly mask.

Upon closing his door, he seemed to notice her presence, and turned toward the pink-haired mute girl who was watching him curiously with a slightly tipped head. "IT'S THE QUEEN!" he exclaimed loudly, charging toward her till he was a mere inch away, before throwing his arms around her waist to bury his face in her chest.

She would have slapped him if he wasn't starting to cry.

In complete surprise at his reaction, she patted his head somewhat awkwardly. With her other hand, patted his back as a sign to please let her go, and the message was relayed to an empty head, obviously, because he took no heed.

With a sigh she gave in, putting two arms around his shoulders for a few seconds, before prying off one arm to turn him down the hall, his other hand clasped on her shoulder now as she guided him back to his bedroom.

Settling him down on the bed inside the black-red room, now occupied with lots of orange pillows he must have brought here with him, she patted his head and gave him a questioning look.

The mask revealed one eye, the only way she could detect emotion, and said eye was crying a waterfall. Upon her puzzled expression, he pointed at her. "The Queen is so nice!" He whined. "The Queen let Tobi stay in The Queen's home when The Queen doesn't even know Tobi!" he cried out, "Tobi will never be able to repay the Queen."

Sakura scratched her head, a grin on her face. Wow, this kid is… interesting. _I like how he talks…_

He bounced up from his bed with a suddenly determined look. "Tobi knows!" he shouted, "Tobi will become Queen Sakura's ROYAL ASSISTANT!" he pulled a cape out of nowhere, tying it around his shoulders. "I AM TOBI! TOBI IS THE ROYAL ASSISTANT!"

Sakura giggled mentally, patting his head with a big smile, and turned her head when the door opened. She saw Pein appear in the doorway, with his adorable grumpy little kid pouting face on. "Saku-nee-chan, when do we get food?"

Sakura put a hand to her mouth to conceal giggles, having to really try hard when Tobi demanded he was going to make Sakura's dinner. They ended up agreeing he could help make dinner, Pein taking her hand and dragging her out the door while somewhere along the line Tobi gave her a piggy back ride with Pein on her own back.

They arrived like that into the main house's kitchen, where Kisame and the artist duo watched them with smirks whilst Jugo and Suigetsu chuckled from the seats at the breakfast nook. Konan, who had been standing in the kitchen as well, giggled crazily.

There was also another of the newer faces, though more memorable from the encounters they have had that were all short, Hidan.

He… well, he laughed his head off with a few curses. He was promptly hushed by Konan, who glared angrily about his language despite the fact she was still just… well, tiny little Konan. Hidan only chuckled at her, though he did seem to shorten his curses the slightest bit.

Sliding off Tobi's back and setting Pein down on the table from her own, she swished over the glossy wood floors to the pantry then the fridge. With a curious, uncertain glance around, she pulled out a few things and set them out on the table, ushering those present to take a look.

Cans of veggies, chips, pop tarts and ramen, eggs, a few types of meat, pasta, ice cream, chocolate, and fruit and a few other assorted things.

Tobi voted chocolate and ice cream, but he pouted when she shook her head with a scold. Kisame pointed out the Tuna, but Hidan started to argue about how the ribs were better. Suigetsu started to back up Kisame, whom she learned was Kisame's younger brother during the word-war. Pein joined Hidan's side of the war, whilst Konan's only request was some form of rice in the meal.

Turning to Jugo while the battle of fish and pork ribs waged, she gave him an expectant look. He smiled, and beckoned her and Tobi into the kitchen after grabbing the yellow rice for Konan, crabbed some sausage from the table, and before they knew it, Tobi Sakura and Konan were helping whilst Jugo taught them a nifty, delicious home-cooked rice-n-sausage that tasted Italian with some other odd twists- like the fact to please Tobi, he personalized the mask-wearing boy's by drizzling a chocolate-hot-sauce-mix.

He asked Konan what she liked on hers, and she blinked, shrugging, and somehow in a few seconds he had made a strawberry cream topping. With a smile at Sakura, he said he wanted to make her's a surprise, so she nodded and went to clean the food on the table and mentally laughed that Hidan and Kisame were still going at it.

To satisfy them both, she handed Kisame a shrimp ramen and Hidan a fancy pork one. She did the same for Suigetsu and Pein, and all four looked pleased.

Eating a handful of grapes while she waited for Jugo to finish her surprise, and the boys to make their Ramen, she wondered over education. She had checked the school's website while at the hospital two days ago, and class was going to be held in portables in three weeks while the school was rebuilt. That meant re-mapping the vents, but her room was going to be untouched as well as most of the main shaft to the roof.

But it also meant that Pein and Konan wouldn't be in school and would fall behind the curriculum. She had tutored Gaara and Sai, mostly Kankuro, many times. So, as she waited, she planned out a work schedule.

In a few minutes, all the boys returned with cooked Ramen, and Tobi and Konan came out with their odd-topping Sausages. After both of them insisting repeatedly, everyone at the table watched as Tobi brought a spoon of the choco-hot sausage with some of the rice.

That shit tasted fucking GOOD.

Everyone laughed at the face she made, and she shrugged, not caring about them because she was too busy being in awe. Konan gave her bite of her own, and even though Sakura wasn't the biggest fan of strawberries, she couldn't say she didn't like it.

Heartbeats later Jugo returned, setting down his own plate of a soy sauce drizzled sausage and holding her own plate so high she couldn't see it.

People gapped, as did she, when it was set in front of her. Peaches patted dry slightly tucked at one end. Artful pink flowers hand shaped out of something that looked like frosting but creamier, with cherries in the center of them, on the rice. The sausage itself was decorated with a delicate orange sauce, writing out her name in unbelievably beautiful hand writing.

Jugo took his seat beside her, smiling slightly. "And you two think you're the only artists." He chuckled, looking to Deidara and Sasori who had sat and watched the argument with and chattering in silence with smirks, both equally consumed in thoughts after discussing Gaara a few moments before Sakura arrived in the room.

Sasori snorted, "That so called art isn't even slightly long lasting." He retorted.

"And it's not transcendent." Deidara added, "Which is the only type of art."

Jugo shook his head in exasperation, still grinning. "Everybody's a critic."

Sakura surprised everyone with a scratchy, breathy, and seemingly half-audible chuckle. She even surprised herself. And as those around the table exchanged grins, she paled extremely white, blood draining into her heart and making it feel so heavy, like it had been sucked into a deep abyss.

She shoved away from the table, and the chair fell backwards and dumped her onto the floor. A few people jumped up in surprise as she scaled the wall to get back on her feet, taking deep breaths to calm her incoming panic attack. She only realized how violently she was shaking when she saw the hand on the wall supporting her, and she felt as though her knees were trying to buckle.

Jugo, Sasori and Deidara had come up to her, asking sharp questions about her that she wasn't even hearing over the ringing in her head like a whistle calling her back to the horrid memories. Tobi was in front of her babying her face with high-pitched whimpers of worry. This was the point she realized she was crying, and that as well as the mental breakdown were blearing her vision till it was ringed with fuzzy white.

Vaguely she heard the order from Deidara to get Kakuzu, whom had medical training. Then a blue blear disappeared, warranting Kisame's leave to find the stitched man. There were lots of other things said aloud. Should they call an ambulance? Should they try to move her? Give her water?

She felt Tobi's hands leave her face, and the sense of security she realized they had given her dissipated sharply, leaving her to gasp as if in pain, jolting back into the wall, hitting her head. She parted her lips in a silent cry of agony.

Between the splitting headaches the contact had given her and the panic attack she was having things became even less understandable. She thought she had slid to the floor, but her legs were beyond her feeling now. There was a pressure on her shoulders, not equal, so maybe two people were holding them, trying to keep her from falling.

A big, burly figure was in front of her, and she could tell how long it took it to get there, or how long it already had been there. The only thing she could take note about, was that it certainly wasn't blue, and the only person aside from Kisame large enough to fill that space was Kakuzu.

After a few seconds, she felt something being forced into her mouth, cold and liquid, and something massaging her throat to make her swallow. Seconds later, she was out like a light.


	18. Chapter 18

**Speechless**

Drifting back into consciousness was like swimming though a thick cream soup. And after a trying 2-mile swim that left her exhausted despite it was figurative to sleep, she slowly opened her eyes to a black room. It was her own; the only light was dim moon light oozing light white blood from the partly-transpired curtains that gave of a shadow of the tree outside. She found the air of the room cool on her face, tucked under the covers, and relished the warmth on her back.

Closing her eyes, she felt like she could sit here forever. Then, she realized that the warmth on her back wasn't from just a blanket…

Her thoughts were proven correct when she began register soft breathing on her neck, which she had gotten used to through half-consciousness so she hadn't really noticed it until now. She slowly, unwantingly, opened her eyes again, and the body beside her pulled her closer with arms already around her waist; as if sensing she was awake and not wanting her to get up.

She felt rock hard abs pressed against her back, vaguely noting she had been changed from the pants and long-sleeved shirt for the winter weather into a tank top and shorts. This worried her, but it was currently over powered by the swelling in the pit of her stomach and the rapid red definitely glowing in the dark on her face, which rapidly increased her heart beat when she could feel the other person's through his chest. It wasn't slow, like in sleep.

"You're awake, Saku…" she found it to be Deidara, and she closed her eyes to the sweet sound that settled her nerves, until he spoke again. "I don't like what you do to yourself, un…"

She brought her hands to her chest, as though hiding her wrists now would make him forget what he had seen already. He let out a heavy sigh, his arms tight around her waist. "Go back to sleep, Saku, Kakuzu says that's all you'll need." one of his hands brushed through her hair, but all she could think about was that he knew now.

She was a cutter…

When at last her breathing grew from rapid to slow, and the fear he could practically taste dissipated, he sighed again. He watched her with dull blue eyes, his messy hair brushed out of his face as he watched over her.

Kakuzu had explained what had happened, a sudden lapse caused from both stress and fear, similar to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but only instead of a specific trigger, it was released by a specific action- creating a verbal sound beyond a release of air like a gasp or sigh.

Kakuzu had taken her up stairs with Konan and Pein, who had volunteered to change Sakura into her pajamas. When the twin children left the room, they went straight to Jugo and Kakuzu, who were discussing Sakura's mental and physical state, with a question that put everyone in the room on pause. "Why does Saku-nee-chan have so many scars and cuts on her wrists?"

The Psychologist-and-Doctor-like members disappeared upstairs in a flurry.

By the time they got back, word of Sakura's breakdown had drawn out everyone in the house. When Jugo murmured into Deidara's ear, he couldn't breathe right for a few seconds. The room darkened drastically in worry, everyone knew from those who had been there when Pein had asked the question explaining.

Sakura wasn't just a cutter; she was a _very_ heavy cutter at that. They had all assumed she wore sweaters because it was winter. None of them had known her beyond the cold season, except for the twins, Ino and Hinata, and Gaara and Sai. The pair of girls hadn't seen her since childhood, but the other four confirmed Sakura always wore long sleeved and jeans. When Sakura wore the school uniform's black-plaid skirt, she always wore leggings.

And after closer examination, Kakuzu and Jugo had discovered just how bad it was. Cuts tick on her wrists and legs, yes. But also all the way up her arms. On her sides and hips from chest-level to just above the knees. Heavy makeup on her neck had covered a few lines over her throat. Some behind her ears, and from a trail over her chest revealed by the tank top, most likely over her breasts, which continued to end half way down her abdomen.

Most of them had even been covered with make up under her clothes, like on her wrists and close to her ankles. She had been very careful to conceal them from everyone, because there was even make up on the ones under the shirt on her chest and stomach.

Deidara left the ginger and brunette males to explain it to the others, while he went upstairs. She rested sound asleep. Looking so innocent in her light blue comforter puffy and decorated room of intricate butterflies and flowers that he remembered her telling him Sai had done it as a birthday present.

He padded across the room to the bed, gently pulling her hand out from the covers, and the un-covered arm displayed endless lines- red of new, white of old. The skin was a sickly pale with something of a yellow tone.

Yes, he sighed again as he pulled her into himself. She was very sick. Jugo was right, she needed help.


	19. but a friend held captive

**Speechless**

She sat in the comfortable room, Itachi and Kisame leaning on the wall toward the back. One wall was lined with bookshelves. The other three were an ocean of deep midnight blue. The carpet, grey and shag, felt soft under foot. Jugo sat beside her on the long, insanely soft plush black love seat in the center of the room. there was an over sized window, draped with black curtains and let in light from the middle of the wall on her right, left open, and a fan on the ceiling that was off. In front of the couch was a recliner, empty for now. On either side or her and Jugo's couch, was wooden tables with assorted things- tea, a few plates of cakes and cookies, small things like snow globes and little animal plushies or stress balls.

Jugo kept telling her things would be fine, this was only until she wasn't over stressed anymore. Both the two boys at the wall had told her that this was necessary, that she had problems, and she needed help. None of the three were going to be allowed to be in here when her session began, though.

A door opened to the left of the recliner, and in stepped a man with long black hair, pure white skin, and dark green, snake-like eyes. This… was her Psychologist? He looked like HE needed a doctor more than she did. By the glance Itachi and Kisame shared in the corner of her vision and the flash in Jugo's eyes, the same thing had gone through their own heads.

"Hello, Missssss Ssssakura. I'm Orochimaru, you new Psssssychologisssssst." He greeted, the focus on the Ss seemed to send a shiver up her spine that she forced down. She nodded her greeting, shaking his hand as it was extended.

"Sssssso, we may begin assss ssssoon as you wish, just assss ssssoon assss the otherssss leave." Orochimaru said, dipping his head slightly in greeting to the others.

Itachi stood silently for the door, Kisame grumbling about being kicked out and leaving Sakura alone. Jugo gave Sakura a light kiss on top of her head, "good luck, Saku-chan." He told her, disappearing behind the other two when she smiled at him.

As the door closed, an immense sense of foreboding trickled into the air as she turned to Orochimaru with another nod of greeting. A wicked grin spread across his face, but all he asked, was "so, here is a dry erase board, and we can begin."

2 hours passed, and as she left the room, she was met with the three boys who had been waiting in the… waiting room. Yeah, because that's what you do in a waiting room. Wait. Though it surprised her that they had been sitting there for 2 hours.

Kisame picked her up, and just like when they had shown up, he carried her out like a quarter back wood a foot ball, and she grinned, ignoring the odd looks she got from the other people in the waiting room. They seemed to recognize the group of people, too, because in their amused and surprised faces was awe.

And as Kisame lead her out, she froze, and struggled out of his grip. He promptly set her down, and the three of them looked at her curiously.

Sakura, however, stared in shock at a very recognized person. He sat in the back of the waiting room, staring back at her with pail, colorless eyes. His flat brown hair fell down his back, simple blue-white plaid button up shirt tucked into his jeans. They starred at each other, and for a long time, no one moved.

Then, Neji stood up. He padded slowly toward her, with a blank face, and stopped with about a foot between them. He was still taller than her by at least a foot or so, and when he stopped walking, he crouched some, to her eye level.

She felt the presence of Itachi just behind her, Kisame and Jugo popping up behind Neji. Kisame and Itachi didn't forget he was on the list of Sasuke's recruits, and Jugo just didn't like people getting up in Sakura's face.

But Sakura had no fear of Neji, only confusion and hurt. Which she could tell he was reading right off her face. He straightened up again, one of his smiles curved onto his face. He placed a hand on top of her head, and she winced out of habit, and steady growls emanated from her three guards. She stared up into Neji's face, naturally blank and unreadable, but he leaned down to her ear. "Good to meet you here, Sakura. I'm sending something with Hinata. Talk to her soon."

He turned, walking away, and entered Orochimaru's office. The boy she had known since her years speaking, who had betrayed her, helped Sasuke… 'Have her', then tried to kidnap her. Neji had something for Sakura.

She hurried them out to the car, and drove faster than she ever remembered going before as a careful driver. The boys were all grasping some part of the vehicle with horrified faces, especially when she almost rammed a trailer park's sign. She couldn't think if what Neji had said was a threat or just a message or…!

When she slammed to a stop on in the drive way, her three escorts seemed ruffled, but she slammed open the door and ran into the house, searching for the girl with violet-blue hair.

Hinata had just gotten home, it seems, from the grocery store, and she was putting up the last bag of things when Sakura found her and pounced, landing on Hinata while the girl splayed out on the floor.

"I-I take it you saw Neji today, Sakura-chan?" she asked quickly. "I-I saw him at the market an hour ago, he gave me something for you…" the bluenette, after Sakura had crawled off, hurried toward a box sitting on the counter, and handed it to her.

It was plain cardboard, but what nearly made her heart break, was a white sticker. In sharpie, drawn on was a delicate bird, the word 'from' just above it, and under the word 'to' next to it, was a carefully drawn flower. A Sakura flower.

This was the system the three girls had created years ago, and Neji had joined since he always played with them.

As she padded mindlessly upstairs to her room, Hinata followed. She almost didn't notice that Ino was in her room, changing her blanket after having it washed.

The three friends were together again, she reflected, glancing at them as they watched her curiously when she had sat on top of the warm blanket spread on her bed.

With the knife normally used for things she takes counseling for from now on, she slit the card board's tape, and opened it.

She dropped the knife with a choking cough. She pulled out the first thing in the box: three dresses meant for 4 year olds and a tie. Both girls recognized it; what the four of them had worn to Sakura's parent's last anniversary. The tie was Neji's, a plastic flower pinned at the end from Ino, a magic-marker drawing of stick-figure Neji from Hinata, and glitter-glue cherries. From yours truly. She remembered they had made him a tie, because he had done all their hair.

Folding up the three dresses and tie into a pile, she took the envelope that had been clipped to the tie. Ino volunteered to read it aloud, and none of the three cared when two other people entered the room, Sasori and Deidara, closely followed soon after by Tobi, and the twins Pein and Konan.

"Sakura,

Yes, I know you remember those outfits. I've had them on top of my desk for some time now, trying to work out a way to give them to you, since before all this trouble started with Uchiha.

But by my honor, I must obey his wishes. He has saved my life twice, and I must repay him my debt. I have saved his life once. I must do it again. And I know this is no reason nor any proper grounds to forgive me.

I have caused you so much pain, Sakura. I was suppose to act as you big brother, as you did all those years for my only care in the world, Hina-chan. I realize my debt to you is great. And one day I will repay you as well, but Sasuke must be repaid. After I save his life, I might even kill him myself for what he has done to you.

But understand this. If you ever need help, and Sasuke has said nothing, maybe perhaps because he doesn't know we are in contact, I will help you, little brother.

Neji Hyuuga."

Ino stared at the paper, a look of utter relief on her face solely because it meant her brother-figure wasn't evil. Hinata was already crying again.

Sakura glanced into the box with a sigh, realizing it wasn't empty. With a careful but slightly shaky hand, she pulled out a pistol. There was a tag on it: kill Sasuke if you ever half to.

She gulped, with a mental shock at Neji's bluntness, and then glanced at the Akatsuki who had appeared in her room as the note was read: Deidara, Sasori, Itachi, Kisame, Jugo, Tobi, Suigetsu, and Madara was just now appearing. Those who had attended most of the note (everyone but Madara and Itachi who had just entered) were wearing face of grave agreement. She flashed Itachi the tag, the letters big enough for him to read from the place he stood near the door.

Itachi nodded, "if you ever half to." He agreed. "For your safety."

Madara looked utterly confused. "What's happening in here?" he demanded.

Suigetsu was frowning, "Queen's enemy is but a friend held captive." And then he glanced to Hinata, who was having a break down. "And it seems he is also the friend to the ladies of the court."

"Hinata's cousin." Ino corrected. "Our big brother. Neji Hyuuga."

The four aware of the group who had harmed Sakura gapped, all four of the main group aware of Neji's part in the Sound group.

Madara twitched, irritated. "What does this Neji guy have to do with ANYTHING?!"

Sakura shrunk away a little at the furry, and Hinata's muffled cries cut off abruptly and simultaneous with Sakura at Madara's angry cry, causing the room to go silent. The unknowing members of Akatsuki exchanged silent curious and worried glances, and then watched as Deidara padded toward Sakura silently.

Stooping a little to get to eye level with the pinkette, he asked softly, "if I tell them, Sakura, they might be able to help protect you from them. It's obvious they are still trying to get you back from what Sasori says. We will need more than the four of us."

Sakura, her leafy green eyes glued to the floor for a few heart beats, looked hesitantly over the many members of Akatsuki at her door.

Faces she had learned the names to, and others she hadn't. Tell her secret to these… unknown people? So they all know she wasn't even able to protect herself in the slightest- and all of these guys were bigger and tougher…

She shrunk down a little more, into a smaller, tighter ball, suddenly scarred out of her mind as she realized what she had done. She had invited a huge, ultra sized group of male gang members into her home, where she slept at night without even her mom here.

She blinked up when she felt two hands on her shoulders, to see Sasori and Itachi looking down at her with worried looks, Kisame and Deidara staring down and looking vexed with her uncertainty.

"Kitten, we already told you we are going to protect you." Kisame assured. "From anyone, and you know some of the people here would feel the same." The look he had didn't fit the Kisame she knew, with the toothy grin and the contagious laughter replaced with anxiety.

Sasori squeezed her shoulder tightly. "The four of us will always help you. And more of us."

"We'll help." Ino said firmly, Hinata nodding agreement, and though her eyes were red and puffy, they were layered with determination.

"I will help my little flower." Jugo chimed agreement, that amazing sparkle of complete understanding in his honey eyes.

"I don't fucking plan on letting her die." Hidan shrugged, with a smirk. And she thought she imagined it, because it seemed so unlikely, but there was just the smallest spark of this loyalty or protectiveness in the magenta depths.

"I helped save her life, and watched her do everything to save Sasori's life. And she's giving us a free place to live." Kakuzu stated, then scoffed, "like id let someone take a free house away."

"Tobi is going to protect Sakura-nee-chan because Sakura-nee-chan is Tobi's friend!" the boy in an orange mask declared.

Madara blinked, "Most definitely no one will harm the most beautiful lady while I'm around."

Suigetsu rolled his eyes padding over toward Sakura. "Look, Pinky, your queen of Akatsuki. Let us, your valiant soldiers, protect you. The Queen and the ladies of the court are our treasures; you shall be safe." He assured, and with a sudden vicious look, he added, "ill personally ring the necks of any jerk who sniffs around my friends. It'll hurt a lot more than that slug you gave me on day one."

Wow, Suigetsu was just like Kisame- scary but hilarious. With a slight smile at him and his offer, she looked to the floor thoughtfully, and for a long moment there was a tense waiting silence.

She looked slowly up to Deidara, nodding slowly, and looking back down to her feet.

Deidara pursed his lips, and then sighed. "Sasori, do you mind taking her out of the room? Take her mind of things?"

Sasori nodded, and as he started to help the unresponsive pinkette off the bed, Kisame looked at Deidara. "I want to go with her too." He stated, glancing to the depressed little lump. He shouldered to Jugo, "ginger there told me a little something about how Sakura's mind works, I can help calm her."

Deidara nodded, and the blue and red pair guided Sakura to the door, where Akatsuki parted to let her pass, watching her go.


	20. fearing for her, fearing them fearing

**Speechless**

They watched her moving about the room, unable to hear anything but the blearing music, a song called 'don't stop' from a band 'innerpartysystem'.

The pink haired girl had pulled out a long canvas from a closet, set it on an esile out of view as it face the other way, and had been sketching on it, and painting on it for a long time.

Sasori had told him that Jugo was on it, but neither him not Kisame knew what she was doing now, swishing back and forth through the room for different brushes or paints.

Meanwhile, Sakura tried to perfect the simple red shade, before filling in the messy pair of red heads drawn out carefully and in detail on the blank white. Yes, the same hair. But no, not the same people, and not very similar, either, though they stood back to back. Their heads turned to glare at each other, but with smirks and the slightest look of annoyance yet humor in the way of the faces, arms crossed over both male's chests.

The one on the right, dark rings around his eyes, and what would soon be a sea foam, and a bright red Kanji on his forehead, dressed in messy, tattered cloak of a light blue color, a red cloud at the bottom, and the kanji of love from his forehead enhanced over his upper left chest.

The one on the left with warm caramel eyes, dressed in a rigged-edged, wide spreading cloak with not detail but its tattered, edgeless ends and its grayish-red-black color, and a ring on his left thumb, a light-ish shade of purple.

Lastly, feeling better after painting, she scurried over to Sasori, grabbing his hand, and observing his ring. "Sphere" he said, watching her curiosity. And she nodded, before disappearing to her canvas and painting delicately the kanji on the forehead in purple like the other red head.

She grinned brightly at the new pair of people on the canvas, to the left of Jugo's painted form. Sasori padded around, then grinned at the image, prompting Kisame up, and the pair of Akatsuki men chuckled at the irritation between the two similar characters.

"You're a pretty good artist, pinky." Kisame congratulated, and she smiled brightly with a hint of blush, before tucking away the canvas to be hidden in the closet.

As she was emerging, trying to wipe at paint smears all over her face, the door to the room opened. The pair of Akatsuki turned their heads from where they were sitting at the chairs from before, and Sakura looked at the door as well.

The Tobi who came through that door was not one she could say she had ever met, not one any Akatsuki had seen before. He walked in, and closing the door behind him, she could see the visible limpness of everything about him, his shoulder sagged and his head mostly hung. The 2-inches-smaller person seemed bigger than she remembered, even in the energy-less walk toward her, and nothing visible behind the mask, even the eye hole shadowed from view. He was looking at her, she knew, but she knew nothing else, and when he stopped in front of her, the few-inches-shorter boy was now the few-inches-taller teen.

"Tobi's sorry…" the faintest whisper breathed out into her hearing. And with watery eyes she shook her head. Taking his hand and squeezing it, she felt his fingers tighten around her hand. He pulled her close, trapping her in arms, but not like when they had met with the awkwardness of the bawling little boy, but instead a protective gesture that she returned with a tight squeeze.

"Tobi came to get Sakura; the others want to ask her some questions about… it." He said softly, looking to her for approval.

A long shiver ran up her spine, and a tensing of every muscle, yet she gave him a hesitant nod of agreement.

Tobi looked at her for a second, before she heard him sigh, and she was lead out of the room again, with the red and blue pair exchanging a glance as they followed.

Tobi lead her by the hand to the living room, where Akatsuki had filled in all the seats, but upon her arrival and being seated by Tobi on the couch, those on said couch –Kakuzu, Hidan, and an odd two-colored person she didn't know- all stood, stepping away from her a very good distance.

They were avoiding her… _they are disgusted in me… _

She stared at the floor, but felt the side of the couch bend under two peoples wait, and glanced up to see Kisame and Itachi at her sides, the first with a reassuring grin and the other with a look in his eyes that simply told her he had death threatened these people already if they do something stupid.

She smiled at them both, and Itachi handed her a paper sized white board and a black expo marker, which she took with a nod, and looked to where Deidara was standing.

The blonde gut smiled half heartedly. "Everyone is allowed a one-question maximum, and not everyone wants to ask a question, so it's not that many, ok, Saku?"

She nodded, and the blonde motioned to the first person in a horseshoe-like semi circle around the room, Madara.

For a few seconds, he kind of looked off in another direction in contemplation, but then sighed, and looked at her. "so are you friends with anyone other the Hyuuga boy?"

Sakura paused, looking at the white board, before writing down quickly. She looked to Itachi, who nodded, and read it aloud. "I am friends with Naruto Uzumachi's father, who drives my bus, and I occasionally hang out with Kiba's older sister at the pet store, and have minimal friendly interaction with him."

Deidara looked to Tobi, next to Madara. The masked teen turned his head to Sakura, "Has Sasuke tried to hurt Sakura any other times then when Sasori was in the hospital?"

The pinkette blinked, and looked off to the side, and she didn't have to write anything for the answer to be clear as a yes.

Deidara looked to Kakuzu, who muttered "Pass." Then Deidara's blue eyes were trained on the bi-colored guy again, who said nothing.

Jugo, next, looked to Sakura with an unhappy look in those all-knowing eyes. "My question will be for later, Sakura." She nodded, knowing his questions were best meant in private.

Heads turned to Kisame, who shook his head. Then to Itachi, who at first said nothing and eyes began to move again, but then he asked, "Did Sasuke tell anyone?"

She bit her lip, writing out some and Kisame offering to read it aloud. "Yes; most of our grade is aware of it."

The four who went to her school exchanged appalled looks, and she shifted again; she truly _was_ disgusting…

Itachi stood, "excuse me" he muttered, padding away and out the front door, and Sakura wondered where he was going, and looked to Deidara, who was shaking his head with mild exasperation.

Then he looked to Suigetsu, who was on the last remaining couch. The white haired boy turned his misty purple eyes to her. It seemed to take him a second to find his voice, "When….? Where…?" he wasn't quite able to form a sentence, this topic was seemingly more difficult for him than any other Akatsuki… he wasn't a full gang member like the other Akatsuki, who's main job was helping victims and stopping out of control gangs. He was remotely as cool with the topic.

She scribbled out some words, and Kisame read them out: "one year ago, in an unused class room…" Kisame trailed off, suddenly looking sick. Many others looked the same, at the thought that Sasuke had gotten away with it in a highly populated school.

Eyes reverted to Sasori, next in line. His fingers were linked with his chin resting on top as he looked at her. "Sakura… would you tell us if he came back, or keep it to yourself?"

She closed her eyes, feeling everyone else's on her, wondering if she would think she was bothering them or if she understood they wanted to help. She sighed, and wrote out 'I promise to tell you.' Very, very slow, between words looking around at the people watching her.

Then she hesitantly lifted it up. She wasn't sure if this answer was a lie or not… how could she…. Know if she could trust all of them?

People around the room nodded with satisfaction, and then heads turned to the last person in the room. Hidan hadn't said anything. Hadn't spoken a word, nor a curse uttered. He stared at her with those abnormal, piercing magenta eyes. And said 6, simple words that needed an answer, and put everyone on edge. "Are you fucking scared of us?"


	21. Flowers and Ivy

**Speechless**

They were still looking at her. She hadn't written a word on the board, or looked up from the hard wood floor that had suddenly become the most interesting thing in the room.

She didn't know what to say, and she could feel the air growing heavy. She… trusted them a little more than other people… but she still… really was scared of almost all of them.

Even once in a while, when she saw Kisame or Itachi in the corner of her eye she would be a little jumpy…

It's not that she didn't trust Kisame and Itachi, hell no, that wasn't it… but she… she was scared of them.

She must not have noticed Hidan watching her all this time… or something. Because it seemed that the information he had gained recently put some pieces to a puzzle together, and he seemed to recognize that it was fear.

Or maybe he was just wondering. Guessing, because it was logical she would be afraid of all the large men she had barely met in her home.

_What am I doing_?! She questioned herself. Why Hidan had asked her this question was not important; answering it was. _Finding out any possible answer_ is important. Because she couldn't just say yes, which was a true answer. But no… seemed to also be a true answer, because she DID trust them.

For example, though he was a large person, she had no fear of Jugo what so ever. He didn't care at all about body, at all, and because he hadn't told her that, because she had picked up on it herself, she believed it. He focused on emotions and personality and the mental things, not physical… he was just trustable. And she didn't fear Sasori. When Jugo had taught her about emotion, he was surprised to see such a depth in Sasori's face and after she had got him shot, at that.

However, she feared the others a LOT. She feared Tobi, because he was suddenly bigger than her today… she feared Madara greatly because he was always commenting on her physical self… she even feared Deidara…

And she feared the others, too, because they were… huge. Kakuzu was almost as big as Kisame, or Hidan was really thick in the muscles, and… and…

She was just so afraid of them, yet despite the fear that clawed at her heart and stomach, there was that thing that she knew true. That they each had pieces of her trust.

She trusted Kakuzu, what with saving Sasori's life when she hadn't done anything, and him saving her own self in her panic attack. She trusted Tobi, because he was gentle and playful, she trusted Kisame and Itachi because they were both so careful with her twin cousins and her best friends. She trusted Deidara with her life, even though there was that unmistakable fear.

But that didn't really make sense, did it? You don't… fear what you trust. And if you were… then what would you say? Yes? No? Yes, I'm scared to death of you even though you've helped save my life? No, I completely trust you even though a jump every time you walk behind me or near me or touch me or look at me?

Neither made sense… and the longer she sat here, wordless and staring at the floor, the thicker the tension was growing, and the more certain that they all were she had no trust in them what so ever.

This… this is so… so frustrating and difficult. But it was only a yes-or-no question. Why couldn't she just pick one? They were both true, but then again they were both wrong…

Yes or no, yes or no, yes or no…

And the longer she bickered back and forth in her head, she was not aware that her outer appearance was growing more and more distressed, and that Akatsuki were watching her with worried, furrowed brows. Her eyes were round and confused, her nails had dug into the skin of her thighs through the cloth of her long jeans, and the slowly growing wetness of blood oozed to the surface of the denim. She bit her lip so hard it was leaving a bruise.

She broke out of her little trance when someone moved, and she made out Hidan beside her, staring down at her with uncertain eyes, leaned down so he was almost to her level.

She backed into the back of the couch, her eyes wide with alarm. He straightened up, the Jashin necklace bumping against the shirtless chest drawing her attention, and leading her eyes to the muscles that would make Hidan so… strong and dangerous… color drained from her face and again, the fear was benching.

The jashinist shook his head. "She's scared to death of us!" he stormed back to the place he had sat before. Deidara shot him a glare, and padded toward Sakura.

"Saku-chan, do you fear everyone? Or just the few you haven't gotten to know yet." She nodded a little and he looked to Hidan with a look of triumph, and the albino shrugged, glaring ahead. The blonde looked back at Sakura, who do you think you fear most here?" he whispered softly, sitting beside her.

Sakura paused; afraid to answer… she knew the answer, quite truthfully, but she wanted to think she was wrong so bad… it was horrible who she feared most.

How could she tell Deidara… that he was the one she feared most? She feared everything about him.

She feared him himself, because of the simple fact that he was explosive in personality, he could get so made so fast, as he had proven in their early days, and it wouldn't be hard for him to overpower her…

She feared the attention that he caused her to have- she had been attacked by the girls at the school for being near him, made her so widely popular on TV that Sasuke was after her again, and the attention of Akatsuki that lead to this moment.

She feared how he pried into her past, the death of her father and how she had killed him, and Sasuke's attack- things she wanted buried and dead.

She feared how much he made her think, like right now, or when she had nearly killed herself and she had to pretty much contemplate her entire life.

But worst of all, she feared what he could, would, and wanted to do. Kisses in the hall, and holding her close at night. Sure the latter was a certain occasion, but he was getting under her skin… working so close, and stripping away those deadly rules that had kept her stone to anyone.

But again, Deidara was also the one she trusted most, and that even scared her. She… hadn't trusted anyone in such a way before… trusted him enough to allow those feeling in her stomach and that warmth in her toes and finger tips that came with his smile. She trusted him so much; he could get her to do so many things.

She trusted him more then anyone, and yet feared him the most out of everyone…

Deciding that she would pick the second person she feared most was the only thing she thought she could do, so she scanned slowly over the people of the room. Other than him… who did she fear most?

Not Sasori and Jugo most definitely. Or Kisame and Itachi. She was pretty okay with Suigetsu, who wasn't so massive… and Tobi was so… Tobi. Kakuzu, and Hidan… yes, they both scared her pretty bad. She really didn't want to be alone with either, just the thought…

But she knew that they weren't the worst. There were two people she didn't trust in this room, both bigger than her, and she feared them both for their own separate reasons. Madara, and that one guy she couldn't put a name to… which did she fear more….?

Forcing herself get a little courage, she trained her eyes to the bi-colored person, with bright yellow eyes and messy green hair.

She could care less about the oddness of his appearance, in fact she liked odd people more so then those who were stuck up about their good looks. But he was in the top three largest of the group, after Kakuzu and Kisame. And she knew nothing about him, she hadn't even heard him speak before, not that she was on to talk in that category, but she doubted he was a mute.

When he returned her look without blinking once, she inched back into the couch, averting her eyes the floor. Maybe she should have answered Madara. She was being sallow by labeling the one she didn't even know the name of; even if Deidara was the only one to know the question he had asked.

Deidara, anyway, followed the line of vision to the silent person on the couch, and recalled that she had never actually met him before now. Which wasn't surprising; Zetsu had the habit of never being noticed not found unless you were specifically looking for him- and he always found _you_, never the other way around.

Deidara looked thoughtful for a moment, and then looked to Zetsu, who by now was looking between him and Sakura with a confused look.

With a hand on Sakura's shoulder, he smirked at the spy of Akatsuki. "Zetsu, I have a new solo mission for you, un."

The green haired teen raised a brow, and Sakura look at Deidara in surprise. "**What is it?**" Zetsu questioned, and she felt a shiver run up her spine at the first time she had ever heard his voice, which was unnaturally dark.

Deidara grinned brightly, "from now on, you are Sakura's new Akatsuki partner."

Sakura jumped in surprise, nearly falling off the couch, when Kisame grabbed her shoulder with a chuckle. The blonde at her side laughed, and then looked to Zetsu again. "When she leaves the house, I'm expecting you to go with her unless it's to go to school. This includes you going with her and Jugo to her special doctor."

Zetsu nodded slowly as Deidara continued, "I also want you to help her learn things about the job of a spy; it will help her in the position I plan on giving her. As your partner, I want you to… say, teach her how to be Akatsuki."

Sakura stared at Deidara like he was insane. Zetsu looked confused, wondering why Deidara randomly assigned them as partners. His only partner had been Tobi, and that was briefly for about a week when Tobi was a half member, so truthfully Sakura would be his first member; you think Deidara would choose someone more experienced at partner work for the pinkette.

Sakura wriggled out of Kisame's supporting hand to standup, hurrying into the kitchen. And to her dismay, a note on the fridge from Ino: 'stole all your food, I.O.U. head out shopping soon~'

Now she had to go shopping… with Zetsu…


	22. what's mine is only mine

**Speechless**

…

**Neko: so ideas, up for grabs to any of my readers that I just found amusing. Well, two. First off, Sakura-Jack Frost. Don't know why. But I do love the pairing. Second story idea, Merida from Brave ends up in the Naruto verse and meets Akatsuki. Dunno, I just kinda liked these. I have too many stories, so I can't write them… but yeah, someone should.**

Sakura inched her head out of the kitchen after about 30 minutes, to see everyone had left the living room.

_Oooohhh nnnoooo~! I can't find Zetsuuu~!_

At the mental all clear, she took off with the list of groceries in her hand and her mother's credit card in pocket that her mom had left for groceries, bills and emergencies.

If she got out and back before anyone noticed her, she should be all clear, and can avoid being alone with a creeper or any other Akatsuki member for a few minutes.

But, alas destiny just enjoys fucking with her, because the second her hand touches the door knob, she gets a massive heart attack at a near-by voice asking, "Are you going somewhere, Sakura-san?"

Having never heard this voice before, she whipped around at what she was certain to be supersonic speed, to be staring at Zetsu's half-and-half yin-yang form, topped with grassy green hair and with piercing, yet amazing, glowing yellow eyes.

Her mouth open in a silent scream of surprise, the bi-colored person merely tipped his head, curious. "I thought Deidara-san said to stay with you when you left? Why are you so surprised I am here, Sakura-san?"

Rubbing the side of her head, trying to steady her nerves and erratic heart currently beating as fast as most rap songs, Sakura looked at Zetsu, shuffling nervously, before sighing resignation under her breath.

Opening the door, she waved him out, but instead he stretched an arm over her to hold the wooden object himself, nodding her on first politely, and followed her out after closing the door.

She had left a note on the fridge, saying she had gone out for food to put in the bare fridge. And when Zetsu asked where she was going nicely, she showed him the list on the paper mostly consisting of suddenly missing food items.

And Zetsu seemed _very_ surprise when Sakura motioned she couldn't drive. As they settled into respective front seats, he glanced to her. "How were you planning to walk such distance with arms full of groceries?"

She shrugged, using her phone to convey, 'I do it all the time when my mom can't go out'.

He nodded, backing the car expertly out of the drive way. "You must have a learner's permit, Sakura-san?" when Sakura nodded, Zetsu glanced at her a little. "You should ask someone to teach you out of Akatsuki. **Not Tobi.**__No, definitely not Tobi."

Sakura turned her head to him slowly, her eyes wide.

He glanced to her, and at the reaction he glanced out the window. "Sorry, you don't know about me. I have a split personality." He said sheepishly, in a hard to hear, quite voice.

She gave him a sympathetic glance, the best she could convey any sort of apology for the look she had given him while he was driving. As she looked out the window again, rubbing her arm in the awkward silence to follow, neither spoke to each other. Not like she ever spoke anyway.

However, since it was normally up to someone else to break the silence, Zetsu was obviously a very quite person, as she had guessed. It wasn't until her phone started chirping out Regina Specter that there was any sound whatsoever in the car other then the humming of the engine.

Zetsu glanced as Sakura scrambled to find the phone, which had fallen under the car's seat. When she finally pulled it out, the ring had already cut off, and read the blinking message that said she had a voice mail. Who the hell called her? No one does that, she can't talk, it's pointless.

She flipped open her phone and clicked that handy green button, hoping it wasn't something from her mom that would be embarrassing, because she had broken her speaker button on the ON setting.

"_Sakura-chan, its Gaara. This is very, very important; Temari brought a bunch of the bitches to your house. Temari told Karin a rich person lived there and Karin knew you lived there too. One of the chicks who live across from you saw the Akatsuki enter your house. They are leading a raid to your house to kidnap you, so they plan on kidnapping Deidara instead to get back at you; I don't know where you're at, but-"_

Zetsu had slammed on the brake, swerving out of the road and flat out ignoring the honking cars as he stopped on the side of the road, staring at her phone. Gaara's voice had been cut off sharply, some yelling she recognized as Gaara's sister and brother the only thing audible after a really loud crash. The background yelling only grew louder, before the phone cut off completely.

She was only partly aware as Zetsu pulled forward, turning into the opposite direction, as she starred at her phone. What happened to Gaara?!

"**I'm going to drop you off at Kakuzu's shop, you can't go anywhere near them.**" Zetsu's darker personality said quickly, apparently they had just passed it, and with Zetsu going at 50 over the speed limit, it really wasn't long until Zetsu pulled into a square parking lot of stores.

He jumped out of his car, circling around front to open her door, and helped her gently yet quickly out, seeing how she was too stunned to do anything.

Holding her by the wrist with his white hand, so as to not crush her with his black one, he pulled her quickly across the parking lot and up to a building with 'Rinnegan' on the front.

Slamming open the tinted glass window door, the brightly lit store's customers glanced up in surprise. A tattooing station, piercing station, and Temporary Henna Tattoo stations on the right, to the left wide selections of band shirts and jeans and hair dyes, and in the back were skateboards, helmets for both motorcycling and skate boarding, and other assorted things like skater shoes and board stickers.

She might have admired it more if she wasn't replaying Gaara's message over and over in her mind.

Kakuzu and Hidan both looked up from separate places at the body station chairs, as did Tobi at the register and Madara peer out of the clothing racks, among all the other people who glanced over.

Kakuzu, his tattooing station currently unoccupied, made his way over quickly after Zetsu's entrance. "Why is she here?"

Zetsu ignored his question. "**I need you to watch her**, send her into the break room with Tobi and tell him that he needs to protect her." The green haired teen turned on his heal to look at Sakura. "**Don't leave this building, or Tobi.**"

With that, Zetsu disappeared out of the doors again, leaving her with Kakuzu, who immediately called to Tobi before following after Zetsu in hopes of getting more Details.

Tobi bounced over joyously, but seemed to sense the desolate atmosphere around her that would probably kill plants if she walked by, like in movies.

Said mask-wearing person simply picked her up easily in both arms, and padded through the aisles to the back, where she didn't even move in his arms. Couldn't bring herself to stop coming up with every possible way Gaara could have died, or been knocked out, or something else bad.

In the back room, Tobi sat her down on top of a table, moving toward a fridge. He came back with a picture of sweet tea, which he poured into a plastic clear cup and handed to her. "Does Sakura-chan wanna tell Tobi about what's wrong?"

Sakura turned her head to look at him, and then clicked the replay button on her phone without looking at it, instead opting to stare at the wall ahead of her.

As the pinkette listened for the second time, the warning clicked on a very different level. First off, Gaara said they were already there. Karin had already shown up with her goons of girls. And they were after Deidara.

Fury and rage over came her sense of fear and the alerting alarms of danger in her head rapidly as she turned to look at Tobi. She couldn't see his face, but she could feel her emotions reflected off of him in equivalence.

"No one takes Tobi's sempai!" with that angry exclamation, Tobi watched her leap down from the table, and they jogged out of the building side by side, seething with anger. Madara, who had finished what he had been doing earlier and was coming to see what the fuss was, didn't even say a word as the angry pair slammed open the front door, and together sat in Tobi's car. At nearly 120mph, it took no longer to reach her house then it did to rip the face off a lousy slut, which is exactly Sakura's plan.

Before Tobi had the chance to take his key out of the ignition, Sakura was slamming the car door closed, and stomping toward her front door, which as she approached she was met with yelling and screaming.

Tobi momentarily pausing to key the side of the unknown black van with 'BITCH MOBILE', no doubt the van belonged to the intruders, Sakura stomped with loud, heavy footsteps up the front porch stairs, where she took a deep, shaky breath to prevent herself from just walking in and ripping off everyone's head.

Kicking the door down simply, she gained everyone on the inside's attention.

Temari, as her Gaara had predicted, was here, and she had been screaming at Kankuro whilst holding Konan in a head lock, Kankuro looking enraged at Konan's situation while Pein had been beating on her leg. Sasori was currently scrabbling with Tenten and some blonde girl, struggling to keep them pinned down. Ino and Hinata were backed into a corner, still fighting viciously with Tayuya and a pretty brunette girl. Deidara, the only other person home at the moment aside from the other named people, was currently being gagged and tied by Karin and a pair of girls, one with black hair and the other a brunette Sakura remembered to be named Matsuri. She was Gaara's ex girlfriend, is Sakura remembered right.

Really she could care less about any of their names. Only one person caught her sight right now. Deidara, and because these girls were regrettably rather strong, 3 of them had managed to tie his arms and a cloth around his mouth, currently trying to lift him, until she had slammed the door open and they starred in surprise at the pinkette boiling with rage.

The whole room was quite, and she just noticed Zetsu was also here, having been grappling with 2 or so other girls toward the kitchen, where Gaara was only half in view, and Sai was leaned over him, checking his pulse, though now all of them were staring at her as she stormed toward Deidara's location.

Revulsion and hate twisted Sakura's face as she reached Karin, who's two goons were in shock at her blonde male friend's sides. The red head teen glowered at her with a smirk. "Little cunt, you shouldn't have-"

Sakura cut her off, raising a single fist in which nailed the red head hard enough in the face that a loud, sickening crack made those on Karin's side flinch, and those on Sakura's side stare in astonishment, as Karin stumbled back to knock into the wall as the red haired girl gasped, holding her nose.

Sakura's highly vocal, feral snarl made the girl's red eyes grow wide, as she starred up through black rimmed glasses. She shook out her head, getting back to her feet and glaring back at an unwavering green eyed Sakura. "You don't scare me, you stupid little freak!"

Sakura ignored her words, narrowing her eyes. _You're going to come into MY house, breath MY air, hurt MY friends,_ _tie up MY Deidara, and you think I only want to SCARE you?! I want to KILL you!_ Her malicious thoughts seemed to intensify the atmosphere, because Karin stiffen seconds before Sakura wrapped her fingers around her throat and threw her across the room, the annoying girl sliding across the floor with a grunt of shock that was an attempt at a scream that caught in the throat grip. _And be lucky I have self control!_

The girls at Deidara's sides shrank away and up against the wall when Sakura turned to him. She sneered at the pair hatefully, picking up a random pocket knife she assumed to be dropped in one of the scuffles, and cut through the duck tape around her blonde's wrists.

Half way through the process, Karin launched at Sakura's turned back. Expecting this, the pinkette threw herself downward, smashing her assailant into the ground, which let out a puff of breath when Karin's air was pressed out of her lungs.

The pinkette stood on her feet, glared down at Karin angrily, and only allowed herself to kick the red head once in the side- which must have been pretty damn hard, because Karin gasped, coughing up speckles of blood.

Turning back to Deidara, who had pulled his arms apart to rip the remaining bits of tape just as she slammed Karin to the ground, he looked a little surprised.

"Sakura, you're supposed to have stayed at Kakuzu's! **Tobi, what happened?!**" Zetsu growled the second half out, and the pinkette turned to see that all of the other females had scrambled to huddle on the farthest wall away from them. Zetsu stood pinning Temari, who wouldn't give up, to the wall, Sasori having tackled Tenten, who was also not backing down, to the floor. Despite holding down the spitting blonde with four pigtails, Zetsu was glaring at Tobi full throttle- said mask wearing man was currently hiding behind the wall from Zetsu.

"Tobi's Sempai was going to be kidnapped and Zetsu said not to leave Sakura-chan, so Sakura-chan came with Tobi cause she was mad because the mean girls were going to take Sempai, but Tobi was going to tell Sakura-chan to wait in the car while Tobi-chan came and helped, but Sakura-chan beat Tobi here and scared all the mean girls to save Sempai!"

Tobi must have lungs of steal, because that was a mouthful. All in one breathe, too, 4 for you Tobi.

Sakura seemed to ignore the bickering pair, storming to the girls in the corner, who stared at her with wide eyes. Randomly grabbing Matsuri and a blonde, she dragged them by their hair away from the group, ignoring their shouts and screeched of protest, and the nails that racked her arms, before dropping them at Karin's unconscious form. The glare she gave them both was enough to make them pick up their leader, and run out the door, past Tobi who snarled at them angrily.

She turned to the remaining girls, slowly lifting her arm to point out the door, and they instantly obeyed the mute, scrambling through the boys and out of her house. Sakura's steady glare turned to Tenten and Temari, who had since stopped fighting the pair holding them down, instead staring at her since the initial screams from their comrades. She motioned Zetsu and Sasori off, and the pair hesitantly head for the door, that Sakura stepped in front of to bar their way with a heavy, angry glare, making them both stop, now alone and stranded in a large group of Akatsuki.

The pink haired creature pointed to Tenten, then stuck her thumb sharply over her shoulder, and the usually determined though now submissive brunette girl padded carefully around Sakura, then hurried past Tobi, and out of the door.

Sakura glared at Temari, who was looking defiant, though nervous.

Sakura slid out her phone, typing a few things angrily. She handed it to the person closest to her, which happened to be Sasori, and he took it with a nod, and then read it out loud to the blonde with a gradually growing smirk.

"Temari, I am just about done with your stupid, annoying bitch-ness. I know for a fact you were told _NEVER _to show up here again, yet here you are, standing in my living room. get out of my house, or so help me ill find a way to send you to the hospital with every bone in your body shattered, every organ shot with a gun, a knife in each inch of your skin, and every poisonous material I can find shoved down your throat- as if it could fit with all the stupid shit that tries to make its way out. And tell Karin one thing when she wakes up: if she ever takes a step toward Deidara, or any other member of Akatsuki, her ass will be screwed over worse then you. Get out of my house, and away from my friends, and don't EVER let me catch you with my little Konan in your hands again, or ill tear you 9 new assholes."

Temari sneered, and Sakura's apple green eyes sparked with murderous intention, but when she stepped aside from the door, Temari DID look very precautious. And when she was very close to Sakura, she moved just a little faster, and even jumped when the pinkette was standing at the door, watching her go when she looked back.

The pinkette slammed her door shut, turning to blink at all the grins with an embarrassed blush gradually rising to her face.

"The queen of Akatsuki may be a sweet little cupcake, but she can turn into a bitch." Sasori smirked, "I had to cut out some of the language so I didn't destroy the two young children's eardrums."

Sakura suppressed giggles, scratching the back of her head shyly, before glancing to Deidara with a questioning look.

"I'm fine, un." He responded, knowingly, and then the pinkette and blonde teen turned simultaneously to Gaara's passed out body. "That Matsuri-girl knocked him out cold with a pressure point, but otherwise, everyone only got a few nicks and bruises and a scratch or two."

"Good job, Sakura-chan~!" Ino mewed joyously, "that's more like the Sakura-nee-chan I knew in my childhood! You kick the ass of anyone who hurts what's yours!"

Sakura grinned brightly, bouncing merrily along with Ino, and both laughed when Tobi, Pein and Konan joined them in the parade of happy smiley bouncing.

Sasori leaned into Deidara with the world's biggest grin. "She kicks the ass of what's hers. Sakura went to you first."

The blonde blinked, shoving Sasori to the side with a chuckle. "Like I needed clarification, hmm."

Sasori laughed a little crazily, "Aw, Deidara, your blushing."


	23. Announcement! (not part of story)

**announcement to all readers from Neko-sama**

Syrian Arab Revar  
Mauritius  
Bulgaria  
Kuwait  
Bosnia and Herzegovina

you see those places i listed? those are all places i have NEVER EVEN HEARD OF.

yet somehow, i have at least 2 readers following me from those places.

my precious babies i love you all so very much. after 2 months of inactivity you still comment within the first 10 minutes of a story TWELVE TIMES.

there are some people i would like to personally promote.

you people have praised the crummy song lyrics i made up in some of them, even one of my precious extra cup-cake-y followers sang it and put it on youtube,

_Reira Honjo._

you people give me and the Rebel Queens the comments of a lifetime, hilarious and praising and detailed and perfect.

_MinaBlahBlahBlahAnimeFan_ for your hilarity and constant reviews.

_Babybroant_ for being a dedicated reader.

_Guest: Connie Davis_ for being so attached to my stories.

_Akatsukilover15_ for being a complete cookie for taking on my poor orphaned story 'Yours Truely'.

_KarrineWinchester_ for your frequent reviews, i can count on your appearance.

_asredwer_ fore your honesty and help in spotting my mishaps

_moonloonstar _for your detailed reviewing in 'speechless' and other, i love to read those longer reviews so much!

i love you all, as well as all my others who take the time to AT LEAST type 'write soon' or 'love it'. it makes my day when every two weeks i get to come and see your beautiful words and i read them ALL. i even respond once in a while, so if you ask a question just stick it in a review and it SHALL be answered!

and remember how much i love you ALL!


End file.
